Frosted Pen
by Inhumane Side
Summary: She is broken and turned irreparable after five years. She acts normal as if she wasn't abused and accused for her mother's death. She hides her terrible past behind smiles, stories and paintings. Jack Frost met her, worried about the bruise on her face. He is willing to fix her, to see the real her. All was happening well but a new villain comes in the most inopportune time.
1. First Meeting

The night easily fell on the town of Burgess. The streets were already cleared out and children, even adults, were already tucked away under their comfy blankets. As the children's eyes gave out and droopily closed, a melodic laughter carried by wind, was heard by the little kids of Burgess and a good night message saying, "See you tomorrow!" The children sleepily smiled and yawned. Beautiful snow fell from the sky as the night fell.

It was quiet in Burgess, especially at night. Suddenly, a loud slam of a door made the adults shaken up. The peeked out from their curtained windows and saw their neighbour, Mr. Tyler drunkenly entered his house. They hated their neighbour, especially when he is treating his only child improperly.

The scene unfold right before their eyes as they saw Mr. Tyler throw his daughter out of their doorstep. The teenage girl fell face first on the snow in their front yard and the front door was angrily closed, leaving her out in that one cold night.

A couple, specifically adults, witness this cruel act and the woman actually run out of her bedroom, only to be stopped by her husband. The distraught woman was in the brink of tears as she walk back inside her bedroom and just gaze uselessly at the poor child lying on her own front yard, not tucked away under her warm comforters. Her husband sadly shook his head in disapproval.

They were already threatened by Mr. Tyler as this similar incident happened a few days ago. They hastily went outside of their house and helped the poor girl who was suffering under the cold and snowy night. The cruel parent took no notice of the help being made and the couple brought the girl inside their warm and welcoming house. They gave her hot chocolate to drink, some first-aid to treat her aching bruises, and a guest room with a warm blanket and soft pillows.

When this helping-hand-incident came to the knowledge of Mr. Tyler, he threatened them by telling to the police that they tried to kidnap his daughter and all the kind couple could do is back away because they also have a family to support and they don't want to end up in jail.

And now, all they could do is watch. The woman did not easily fall asleep that night and simply held herself together.

* * *

The girl slowly sat up while gritting her teeth. She was in pain. Her beautiful pecan-colored hair was a mess and her clothes were covered with snow. The teenager love the snow actually. Winter was her favourite season of the year and she could not actually help herself feel giddy almost all the time whenever winter comes in her town. But she hated the fact she was thrown into the snow. The girl brush off the snow from her body and composed herself as she stood up.

The girl stepped on her front porch and tried the door but unfortunately, it was locked. All the windows were locked too because the town was actually expecting a snow storm that night. She sighed heavily, but she made her way to the back door, hoping the door would be luckily open but sadly, it was also locked. There was no tree growing in their yard so she can't climb onto it and jump on her window, which resided on the second floor of her house.

She jumped off the first two steps of her front porch and sat down on the third. She propped up her elbows on her knees and rested her cheeks on her open palms. What is she gonna do now? She was locked out of her own house and a snow storm is coming up. _Would this day get any worst? _The girl's first and foremost plan is camp out on her front porch but decided to take a walk to clear her head or something.

Good thing, she was able to wear a coat and boots over her pyjamas. Before she was kick out of her own house, she managed to grab her light pink french coat hanging behind her bedroom door and managed to wear matching baby pink coloured boots. Her boots scrunched the snow-covered yard and decided to walk, leaving her trailing foot prints–or rather her boot prints– on the snow.

Her feet lead her in front of a deserted park (because it was already night). The pecan-color-haired lass sighed at her last resort and opened the gate, producing a small squeaking sound that echoed throughout the park. It kind of gave her the creeps but she was braver than that. The teenager roamed around for a bit before deciding on sitting on the cold metal swing. She slowly swing to and fro, making the metal hinges squeak as she move.

A gust of wind wrecked her medium-cut hair and she tried to tame it when suddenly, a boy with uncanny white hair and pale blue eyes stood right in front of her, barefoot. He was mysterious in her perspective because first, a boy would not walk around barefoot and second, he was a wooden-made staff, that look like it was own by a shepherd.

The boy scared the living daylights out of her. The lass did not know where the blue-eyed boy came from and that scared her. She was not scared of ghosts but what if the boy is a serial killer or something? She shook her head, trying to make the negative thoughts go away. Silence finally settled and no one open their mouths to speak. "Hey." The white-headed teenager suddenly spoke out.

The girl was easily dumbfounded, forgetting that she and boy can actually speak. "Are you alright?" The boy suddenly asked as he floated down in front of the girl. The boy got extremely worried because of the girl's lack of response. But something started to nag him at the back of his mind. _What if the girl doesn't see him? What if the girl's not answering because she cannot hear him? _The questions started to arouse in his mind and dawned him into realization.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Hi! You can call me Star.

First off, let me explain that I'm not a _new arrival_ here in this fandom. I'm so busy with school and whatnot that I forgot to upload this but since it's our summer break, here is the story. Actually, I was supposed to write this again but thank God, I found it in one of my unorganized folders here in my laptop. Sorry, I don't ship Tooth and Jack so I want to try something new.

Read and review as I always say. Hope you give this story a try!

Yours truly, Star.


	2. Leaving So Soon

Her mind, blank. What was supposed to be her answer again? _Oh, right! _"Ah… Hi." She barely made a hoarse whisper as she tried to start the conversation. The boy's eyes went wide and then he actually laughed out loud, making the teenager look at him like he was delirious. The winter spirit started to jump up and down from place to place. "You can see me! You can actually see me!" The boy shouted over and over again and looked at her ecstatically.

Massive amount of uncontrollable energy started to flow inside the boy's veins. "Of course…" She answered incredulously. She was hesitant on what to answer. Of course, she can see him. He is practically jumping all over the place, right in front of her. The boy eventually stopped and let out a wide grin, almost saying that he was satisfied that she could see him.

"What's your name?" The girl suddenly blurted out. The pecan-headed could have covered her mouth if it wasn't for him, staring incredulously at her. She was still sitting on the cold metal swing. Her ungloved hands was holding the metal chains, making her knuckles white as snow because she was frustrated of herself. Why would she ask something like that? To a complete stranger, nonetheless! "I'm Jack Frost." The boy answered instantly, snapping her out of her long trance.

The boy or rather Jack Frost– was wearing a smug look on his face. She could have brush the topic off because Jack Frost is just a myth! Well, she's the one to talk because ever since she heard of Jack Frost from her mother's bedtime stories, she never stopped believing. "The _Jack Frost?_" She asked, confirming the fact that the one who is standing in front of her is really the _Jack Frost. _

The one who brings winter every year, all around the world. Jack just nodded, a smirk still plastered on his face. The girl was clearly and utterly dumbfounded. "Prove it." The girl challenged without hesitation and all Jack could do is make his smirk even wider, thinking that the said challenge is easy. "Sure." Was his smooth answer and the first thing he does was make a rose out of thin ice.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on every intricate detail of the flower and slowly but surely, producing it from his hand. From every petal to the slim stem, it was beautiful as it glowed when hit by the shining rays of moonlight. The winter spirit opened his eyes and looked at his work. Satisfied with his art, he slowly walks towards the teenage girl and handed her the delicate ice-made rose. "A rose for the lady." Jack said courteously. Again, she was dumbfounded.

"Impressive." Was the only thing she managed to say. "Keep it." Jack simply whispered. "Won't it melt?" She asked dubiously. "Nope. As long as you believe in me." Jack answered smoothly as he faced the forest near the park. "Thank you." The lass bashfully mumbled. "You're welcome." Jack smiled as he look back at her.

The girl observe Jack's face for a while. From his smug smirk to the mischievous glint of his pale sapphire orbs. His white hair that was so uncanny, you can't stop looking at it and desperately wanted your hand to stroke or pat it. The girl was in complete awe. _He was beautiful_. Suddenly, the pecan-headed violently shook her head, making Jack look quizzically at her. _That thought was so wrong._

"Now," The girl suddenly looked at Jack as he exclaimed, "Are you alright? 'Cause you still didn't answer my question." The girl gaped at him, seemingly forgetting to answer the hanging question. "Ah… I'm fine." The teenager finally found her voice and made out a tiny, squeaky answer. She wasn't so sure of herself if she was really alright.

Who would be alright if you're kick out of your own house, let alone the season is winter and the temperature dropped below zero degrees and there's an upcoming snow storm, nonetheless. "Liar." Jack whispered as he poked the visible bruise on the girl's cheek. She winced in pain but found his finger, a comforting cool touch. The lassie wanted his fingers to cup her cheek, to ease the pain but it only linger for a while then disappeared.

The girl didn't notice that she closed her eyes and her breathing hitched. The pecan-headed didn't notice the proximity of Jack's face to hers, his gaze intensifying. Jack chuckled as he gave one last poke and looked up at the starry sky. That stars would soon disappear as a brewing snow storm is approaching. "Where is your house exactly?" Jack asked, looking directly at the seated figure of the girl. The immortal did not bother to ask her name, seeming to forget how to.

The lass did an inward gulp. Can she tell where she lives? She only knew Jack for a day, not even a full 24 hours. She still can't trust her secrets to him. The girl has trust issues, by the way. The winter spirit cursed under his breath and looked apologetically at the teenage girl. "I'm sorry but I need to go. Still need to bring winter to other countries." He managed to let out his similar smirk and lean his staff on his hoodie-clad shoulder.

"Okay…" The girl mumbled, disappointment evident on her face. "I gotta go now!" Jack shouted even though he's going to disturb the sound-asleep neighbourhood. He crouched down and was about to bolt into the air when the unfazed girl suddenly stood up from her metal swing, making it rattle, and stopped him.

"My name is…"

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

First of all, sorry for the cliffhanger. I kinda hate and like this chapter. Hate, because it's short and like, because of the rose and the "Liar." part. Kinda sweet isn't it? I know you're too tired of this Jack and OC falling in love but please give it a try! It won't hurt anyway.

"Read and review." A mighty king sat on his throne as he waved his hand–full of rings on each of his fingers– ordering all of the members of his court and they scurried away, trying to get ahold of paper and quill.

Yours truly, Star.

P.S. I like the king part haha.


	3. For Her

_"My name is..."_

But it was too late already. Jack disappeared, leaving her all alone in the cold, dark night. She sighed sadly, sitting down again at the metal swing. He was busy after all. The girl stood up and look again at the moon with burning determination. She smiled, thanking Jack for making up her night and started to walk back to the house.

The girl was determined to camp out in this cold night, not fearing the burglars or kidnappers. No one would attack her since her protection is the snowstorm itself. No one would dare go outside of their house, let alone the criminals because how would they plan their escape route if it were dark and snowing violently?

She sat down on the rocking chair that resided on her front porch and felt the nostalgia. The pecan-headed rock herself to sleep as she tightly wrapped her arms around her now-shivering body. It was cold but manageable, to her anyway. She soon fell into a deep slumber, not caring if the next day she would catch pneumonia.

* * *

_She was shaking violently. _

_What's happening? Her dream-self thought. _

_What's happening in front of her is that the car she was riding on was tumbling down the road. It was all in slow motion. You could see the shards of the broken glasses of the car windows slowly making its way near her face, leaving small scratches. Why was she in the car? The girl asked herself. But all she could see is her death as the vehicle slammed on the wall, purely made out of rocks. She was on the road of a mountain. She vaguely remembered that they are going on a vacation. I'm going to die, was her last thought as her eyes closed without her permission._

* * *

The girl suddenly jolted up, a scream locked on her throat that could possibly wake up the entire neighborhood. It was already dawn and she could feel the ache in her body. Then she noticed that the front door was slightly wide open. Her eyebrows quirked in confusion. _Can she go inside now?_ As the girl stood up, she was pulled back, away from the door. She let out a shriek and looked at the assailant. It was her father, Mr. Arthur Tyler. "Where are you going missy?" The drunken man exclaimed. The green-eyed girl prayed to the gods above, hoping that he wouldn't hit her. But he didn't and she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The girl was shoved on the snow (again) before her father grunted and went inside his rusty-red truck, driving to the closest open bar. The girl only smiled and she could have jump up but her body was sore and aching painfully. She's been in a sitting position for a long time. She slowly stood up from her shoved position and stretches her arms. The girl let out a yelp. "Ouch." She winced as she closed one of her eyes. The lass sighed and trudged to her front porch and entered inside her warm house. But before she closed it, she gave one last look at their yard and noticed something.

There was snow alright but not too much that signified that a storm had occurred. _Has she been blessed by the gods not continue the snowstorm?_ The girl only let out a grin and went inside her house. She made her way up the stairs, ignoring the empty bottles littered on the floor. She would clean that later. Her door was closed and the pecan-headed twisted the doorknob and anticipation bubbled up inside of her. She was finally going to lie on her bed. The door swung open to reveal a simple bedroom.

The walls were painted with dull teal and the ceiling, white. A bed was placed on the center and covered with bed sheets of blue fabric where stars and moon were sewn. A study table was backed away on the wall of the other side of the room (facing the bed) and a bookshelf filled with tons of books beside the said table. Her closet was on the right side of her bed and on the left was a medium-sized window with a small baby pink bed placed on the cemented edge of the window and pillows were all around it. The window was locked securely.

She sighed happily and flopped on her soft bed. The girl once again let out a sigh of relief and sat up, deciding on changing her clothes first before getting a good night sleep. She removed her coat and hangs it behind her door. She placed the boots on the edge of the bed and crouched down near her drawers to get clean pyjamas. The green-eyed gal changed quickly and discarded her last night's clothing in the basket.

The girl locked her bedroom door and sat down on her bed. She still can't forget her encounters with the boy whose name is unbelievably _Jack Frost. _As she was thinking of his name, the girl jolted up out of her bed and quickly get a hold of her coat. There, on her pocket, the rose resided. She smiled softly and scampered downstairs to get a clear and slim empty vase. The lass placed the rose in it and put it on the empty space of her bookshelf carefully, not wanting the books to topple it down and break it unintentionally.

She smiled in satisfaction and lies down on her bed. She let out a sigh of relief again for the umpteenth time. Her eyelids droopily closed again and she prayed that the nightmare won't come back again.

Little did the girl knew, Jack Frost intentionally stopped the snowstorm just for the sake of her not getting any sickness.

* * *

The shocking truth was, Jack Frost is distracted today. He let Jamie hit him with a snowball on the face and did not even budge or plan for revenge. "Jack are you okay?" The boy eyed the winter spirit worriedly. Jack stared at Jamie for a moment and shook his head, laughing. "No, no, no. I'm fine. I'm fine. I was just thinking." Jack answered honestly. The boy let out a smile and stood in front of Jack. "What are you thinking about?" Jamie asked, mischief glinting on his chocolate-brown eyes. "A girl." Jack subconsciously mumbled. Realization dawned on the winter spirit and Jamie let out a triumphant boisterous laugh.

"Jack's in love." Jamie teased while puckering up his lips and making a lovey dovey face. The white-headed boy laughed and ruffled Jamie's hair, getting a scowl from the child. "No kiddo. She was just very mysterious, that's all." Jack replied absent mindedly. "Really? Describe her!" Jamie requested, curiosity getting over him. "She has pecan colored hair and green eyes. Other than that, she wears a baby pink french coat and matching pink colored boots. Lastly, she has a bruise on her cheek." Jack informed, trying hard to remember his encounter with the girl last night.

"Okay. Your description is a bit too general. She could be in any of the houses here in Burgess. Did you catch her name?" Jamie asked once again. A purple blush crept on Jack's face and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't. I already left before she could even tell me." Jack implied. Jamie let out a defeated sigh and pat Jack's shoulder. "You'll find her again." The boy reassured. The Guardian of Fun let out a laugh and answered, "I hope. Now let's continue that's snowball fight." "Wait! But what about the snowstorm last night?" Jamie worriedly asked. Jack let out a smug smirk and answered, "I stopped it because what if she doesn't reach her house safely right?" Jamie sighed in relief and the trickster let out a reassuring smile. Jack didn't want someone to die _again_ because of his doings.

_Now... _The winter spirit scooped up a ball of snow and aimed it at Jamie's head. The believer laughed as he tumbled down on the snow-covered ground and let the snowball fight begin! Little did Jack know, the girl resided at the other side of the street.

_Fate is not a kind, gentle one this time._

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

Hi! Yey, I updated! I don't feel really proud of this chapter because it's feels like I rushed it. Hope there aren't any confusion, "especially the describing the bedroom" part. I don't if the "stopping the snowstorm" is correct or not but whatever, we're in Fanfiction anyway.

I don't have anything to say but I'm having trouble writing right now. My brain wouldn't produce any creative ideas and I feel like I suck at writing this time. Don't worry it won't affect my update schedule. Last one, I really need your reviews right now because I wanna know what you think of my chapters, if it suck or not and it gives me motivation to write the next one.

"Read and review." Jack Frost chuckled as he glided the blue sky, leaving you a kiss on the cheek.

Yours truly, Star.


	4. The Guest

_A week later..._

"WOHOO!" The winter spirit howled as he glided across the sky. He decided to come back to Burgess after a tiring yet fun week, bringing snow around the world. It was his job as a Guardian, to make children believe in him and give them the fun they deserved.

The Guardian's first thought is to go to Jamie's house–particularly his bedroom–to tell his adventures to the curious boy. Sadly for Jack, his first believer still has a couple more days of school before their winter break. The boy was very busy with homework that Jamie often fell asleep on his desk and be carried by Jack to his bed.

It was a Saturday and Jamie is probably done with his homework and expectantly waiting for the winter spirit. Jack smiled as his gaze lay upon Jamie's house, particularly at the boy's window. Jack bolted and entered the bedroom, ecstatic to tell Jamie **everything. **"Jamie you won't believe..." But his voice died down, tumbling the words as he saw another guest inside Jamie's room. "Ah... Hi Jack!" Jamie uttered in a seemingly awkward tone. Jack regained his composure and looked expectantly at the guest.

Jamie cannot stopped looking at the 300-year-old spirit and the guest–a girl–curiously followed Jamie's gaze and a smile slipped on her face as she looked at the unexpected visitor. "Hi Jack." The girl happily greeted and Jack's little world stopped spinning. How can a girl his _visible_ age see him? She's a teenager and around those adolescent years, they started to let go and stopped believing. But this girl didn't and held on firmly.

"You can see him?" Jamie asked, clearly dumbfounded. He did not let the winter spirit speak. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?" She exclaimed as if it was the normal thing to say. She stared dubiously at the incredulous kid. "How can..?" But Jamie can't muster the proper words to say. The boys had the same question in their heads...

_"How?"_

"If you can really see him, please describe Jack." Jamie politely requested with a hint of challenge in his tone. The girl smirked, indicating that she accepted the unspoken challenge and started to describe the immortal. "He is about this tall," The pecan-headed girl motioned her hand, levelling Jack's height and continued. "He's wearing a blue sweater, brown leggings and he's holding a staff, similar to a shepherd's. He is also barefoot." The girl clasped her hands and smiled at the 9-year-old. Jamie was once again dumbfounded. But there was a loophole in her description. "What is his eye and hair colour?" The brunette asked, testing her f he really can see the bringer of fun.

Jack was scared for Jamie. What if the guest was only faking it? What if she can't really see him? Jack felt like he was slapped on the face. Adults tolerate their children, saying that they can actually see the spirits but was only faking it so their children will not be disappointed and saddened that they are the only ones who can see the magical creatures.

"That's easy," The lass started, snapping Jack's long train of thought. The two boys stared expectantly at her, waiting for her answer (or guess). "Blue and white, respectively." And Jamie had to applause for her correct answer. The believer jumped out of his bed and hugged the lass, the girl letting out a hearty laugh. Jack smiled in relief, both for him and for Jamie.

Frost really hadn't had an older believer but he was glad to finally have one. Jamie ran around the room in glee while the teenagers chuckled when suddenly someone knocked at the door. Jack stiffened and so did the guest. But Jack did not need to worry because adults can't see him anyway. Jamie's mom peaked from the outside and warmly smiled. "Hi guys! Let's eat dinner." Jamie's mom, Grace, offered.

"Coming mom."

"Coming Mrs. Bennett."

Jamie and the guest looked at each other and laughed, saying the exact (not really) same thing. "Okay but be there in five minutes." The doting mother once again smiled and softly closed Jamie's bedroom door. "I'm quite hungry." Jamie remarked but smiled sadly at Jack. He doesn't want to leave the winter spirit alone. He's been alone for 300 years already! Jack sighed, knowing that Jamie would act like this and smiled encouragingly. "Go on guys! I'm fine with being alone here and besides it's only for a few minutes." Jack reassured. Jamie looked hesitantly at the Guardian of Fun but grinned nonetheless.

"Go ahead Jamie. Tell your mom I'll be downstairs in a minute." Jamie nodded and eagerly went downstairs, wanting to fill his tummy with delicious mom-cooked food. "Hey." The green-eyed girl shyly said as he faced Jack. "Why don't you go down and eat? I'll be okay here." The white-haired boy reassured once more but she only laughed and shook her head. "I will but before that, can I ask you a question?" The girl replied and Jack nodded curiously and indicating for her to continue. "You don't remember me right?" The lass let out a small smile, leaving Jack confused.

_What is she talking about? _Jack tilted his head cutely and thought hard. Then all of a sudden, everything started coming back. She was the girl at the park! With a bruise on her face but now, it already healed. She was one he described to Jamie the day after they met! She was the girl who is wearing a pink french coat and matching pink boots. She was the girl who still believed in him and showed his powers to her, giving her a ice-made rose. That all happened last week and the encounter easily wiped out from the busy winter spirit's mind. It was due to the hassle of bringing fun snow days and snowstorms and even (mild) blizzards around the world.

"Yeah... I mean I remember you." Jack smiled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. The girl let out another hearty laugh and faced the door whilst she decided to go downstairs and eat dinner with the Bennett family. She gave one last look to Jack and walked towards him. Jack looked confused with her sudden change of mind. She then brought out her hand–maybe indicating a handshake–and let out a cheerful grin. "My name is,"

_"Teddy."_

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

I love her name! (insert squealing here) I always wanted to use that! I wanted to give her a unique name and thought of everything, even searching on the internet for unique ones. I even considered the idea of using a name from Latin or Greek words to hold a special meaning behind her incredibly unique name but decided against it. Instead I decided to use this! "Teddy" is not short for anything because that's really her first name! Also I love this chapter (even though full of grammar errors)! Because finally she revealed her name! Okay I'm quite energetic today! I had a hard time writing this because I was distracted by reading RotG trivia that I almost forgot about this.

Oh I forgot to tell you that I did not write the part where she's sick but it'll be a bonus chapter in the end! I know you are all curious and all but I don't think I can't write this story to a maximum of 20 chapters or more because I'm a lazy ass and I do procrastinate. This author's note have been a long one so I need to cut it short. I can't believe I'm neglecting my other stories because of this! But anyway thanks for reading and I will be happier if you leave a review too!

"Read and review!" North's Russian accent boomed inside the workshop, making all the yetis and elves panicked and made chaos inside the wondrous workshop.

Yours truly, Star.


	5. Australian Accent

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

"Crikey!"

Jack groaned, very frustrated at the irritating voice. He was resting in _his_ room at Santoff Claussen and that blasted voice started to deprive him from his much needed sleep. He covered his ears with a pillow, trying to the block the kangaroo's voice, repeating the word "Crikey!" over and over again with his Australian twang.

He didn't know that the four of the Guardians were simply playing a recorded tape over and over again and stifling their laughter.

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

Hope you like the chapter! There's not much to say though...

"Read and review!" Bunny bellowed with his (sexy) Australian accent.

Yours truly, Star.


	6. Trust

_"My name is,"_

_"Teddy."_

* * *

Jack stared, his bright blue eyes wide and mouth agape. She finally revealed her name. Jack blinked a few times and slowly but surely let process everything in his mind. Her name is Teddy. The girl already left for dinner with the Bennett family before he could even shake her hand in a polite manner.

Her name is Teddy! The winter spirit laughed aimlessly about how idiotic her mother can be for naming her daughter "Teddy." There is tons of good girl names. He sighed as he sat on Jamie's window sill while staring at the bright full moon. Her name wasn't really a idiotic name but rather a cute one. Jack can't admit it to himself.

No one, for three hundred years, introduced himself or herself to Jack properly.

The other spirits introduced themselves to the hellion because business is in the picture or he did mischief that affected the spirits' holidays or seasons. The Guardians only introduced themselves to him in a hastened manner, not even sparing a thought for getting to know each other more because they need to defeat Pitch immediately. Jack already knew the names of the children from Burgess because of their mothers calling for them to get home and eat supper and have a lovely time with their families.

But this girl introduced herself, not for business, not in a hastened manner, not in an indirect address but to be known and seen upon as a friend. The winter spirit smiled of his conclusion and jumped out of the window, shouting a "WOHOO!" into the cold air. No one can really hear him except for the children that believe in him. With the newfound excitement of the prankster, it started to snow.

The two of the immortal's friends entered Jamie's bedroom, chatting, and noticed that Jack was missing. The brunette ran across the room, onto the window sill and called, "Jack!" Teddy was there, standing beside Jamie, her arm around the kid's shoulder like an older sister, smiling invitingly to the winter spirit.

Jack was there hovering on the air with the help of his first friend, the wind, and chuckled as he flew back inside the comforting room. "So what are we gonna do tonight?" Jack asked as he landed flawlessly inside Jamie's room. Ideas started to wreck Jack's mind. Maybe Jamie teaching Jack to play video games, or they would sneak out and go ice skating at the winter spirit's lake but that idea is still not approved because it is a bit of an emotional topic to the immortal one. Or they would tell each other scary stories and just goof around like they are really brothers in blood.

The brunette forlornly hung his head and the blue-eyed spirit knew that his visit would end sooner than he think. "I have to go sleep early because one of my relative's birthday tomorrow and there is a lot of preparing." Jamie informed and took an interest on his shuffling feet. "That's alright Jamie," Jack reassured, "I'll visit tomorrow although I know you would be exhausted after the party but I will be here no matter what happens tomorrow night." The white-headed hellion promised and smiled softly at his first believer and was tackled with a bear hug.

Frost chuckled but was hesitant at first since he had no human contact or given affection for the past three hundred years but the Guardian of Fun returned the hug nonetheless. Jamie broke the hug and went to his wooden-made drawers to change into his washed pyjamas. The playful boy smiled and sprinted out of his bedroom, heading to the adjoining bathroom, leaving the door agape. The bringer of fun let out a chuckle once more and noticed that he was alone yet again with Teddy.

There was an seven minute awkward silence filling the air that followed but the ecstatic boy already broke it as he emerged from his bathroom. "I'm ready to go to sleep!" Jamie jumped gleefully and two of the teenagers let out a simultaneous chuckle. "Did you brush your teeth?" Teddy asked playfully and Jamie glared at the pecan-haired girl. "Of course! Don't act like you're the Tooth Fairy." The 9-year-old complained. Teddy only rolled her eyes and tucked Jamie under his warm blankets. Jack merely observed the mother-and-son-like act unfolding in front of his blue eyes.

The girl sat on the edge of the comfy bed and smiled almost lovingly at the sleepy child. "Do we have to Miss Autumn?" The polite boy protested tiredly. _Miss Autumn? _The winter spirit quirked an eyebrow and looked confusingly at the back of the girl. Teddy knew that the winter spirit was staring at her, wondering why Jamie called her "Miss Autumn" but she would explain it later. Jack decided to ask her later after Jamie fall asleep.

"Yes Jamie," She answered, not giving recognition that the boy called her by a wrong name, "Don't want to disappoint your mother right?" Was Teddy's continuation. The brunette sleepily nodded and got more comfortable in his bed.

Jack wanted to ask but decided against it and just wait on what she's going to do next. Teddy softly smiled, took a deep breath and started. The winter spirit thought that she was going to sing him a lullaby but no, Teddy was going to tell Jamie a bedtime story.

* * *

_Once upon a time..._

_It all happened the day after Easter. The Easter Bunny had finished his job and was finally "off-season." He is taking the time to rest and lie down on the green field under the shade of an old oak tree. The bunny can see a town nearby and smiled, satisfied with his work, giving hope (in a form of a chocolate egg) to children (even adults) and in return, the little kids believing in him._

_That's the best thing about his work. The children believing in the Easter Bunny. The Pooka smiled once more and closed his eyes, the wind lulling him to sleep. It was one of the moments where the bunny is dreaming._

_His dream-self was in a lively party. Everyone was dancing, chatting with each other and drinking or eating. It was chaotic to Bunny's perspective and he hated that. Easter was only yesterday and he needed enough rest. He tried to escape the party but to his dismay, there was no door or window. No one wanted to let him escape. Bunny wasn't the most patient rabbit in the world but he guess that a little partying wouldn't hurt._

_He got himself a drink and sniff it first, not wanting to carelessly drink poison. It was only apple juice and a smile formed on the Pooka's lips. It was his favorite drink after all. He sipped some and roam around the room, trying to balance the plastic cup he was holding, not wanting to spill it on anybody. The Easter Bunny spotted his friends–Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy and Sandman. He waved at them and his small group of friends returned the gesture with a smile. The bunny grinned in content and once again roam around the room, looking at the guests' faces, trying to recognize some of the spirits._

_He saw Jack Frost trying to make a joke at the beautiful Mother Nature. The winter spirit was trying but in the end, he failed miserably. Bunny admit it to himself that he was enjoying the party. He chatted, drank, ate but never danced. He only sat around the corner or lean on the wall when the spirit DJ played an upbeat song or a slow one._

_There across the room, he saw the most beautiful girl in his entire life. She has chocolate-brown hair and with the most beautiful emerald eyes. The girl was wearing a simple white dress that stopped above her knees and a pair of matching white pumps. Fake small angel wings were sewn on the back of her dress. All in all, Bunny thought she was breathtaking but something caught off the Pooka's guard. The girl was a human. No spirit noticed her emerged inside the party and the others continued what they are doing._

_Bunny hesitantly approached her but nonetheless walked right in front of her. The girl smiled at his presence and Bunny couldn't help but to smile back. "May I have this dance?" Bunny asked smoothly as a slow song started to play. "Of course you may." The girl answered in a polite but gleeful manner. They took the center of the dance floor and Bunny put his paw on her waist and held her hand. The green-eyed lady put her other hand on Bunny's shoulder and they started to sway._

_They had a good time together while swaying on the dance floor. They asked each other random questions and had a good laugh once in a while. But Bunny seemingly forgot to ask the human girl's name. _

_"Bunny what would do if a human fall in love with you?" The girl's question caught him off guard again. His palms started to get sweaty and Bunny hoped that the beautiful girl doesn't notice it. He regained his calmness and answered, "If that human is the same one I fall in love with, I will love her forever even if I'm immortal and she's not. I will cherish every moment with her and would not dwell when she's dead because I know she's forever in my heart." The girl teared up and smiled softly at Bunny. "Bunny that's so sweet of you." Was the only thing she can muster._

_The song slowly ended she let go of his paw. She backed away slowly and Bunny brought out his hand, trying to stop her from leaving. "Good bye Bunny." The brown-headed girl whispered and blow a kiss. Bunny caught it just in time and started to run after the girl but she suddenly disappeared. The spirits didn't notice the scene that unfold on the dance floor and were still carrying on on what they are doing. "Good bye my angel." Bunny whispered and suddenly a black out happened inside the lively party._

_Bunny jolted and was now wide awake. He could not simply forget the girl he was slowly falling in love with. Bunny knew that she was a figment of his dreams and would never come to life. Bunny slowly sat up and lean on the trunk of the tree. But the Pooka didn't know that she was real. That she had the same dream as his and was desperate to find Bunny._

_That's when his ears twitched, picking up a sound nearby. A basket falling on the grass, he pointed out. And there it was, the girl from his dream, standing in front of him, with her hands covering her parted mouth, looking straight at Bunny. The girl teared up, like the way she did in his dream and spoke the word that made Bunny's heart tear up, "Bunny?"_

_Everything slowly sink in in the bunny's mind but one thought did not disappear from his mind, "She remembered me."_

_To be continued..._

* * *

"You're still wide awake?!" Teddy asked the boy in disbelief. Jamie sheepishly smiled but it was obvious that he was trying to hold back the sleep creeping in his mind and body. "I'm sorry. It's just that your story is so interesting." Jamie complimented. Teddy chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair which he hated but secretly and constantly seek for that gesture. "I'll go to sleep," Jamie said and cut Teddy off before she can speak, "**After **you answered my question." The pecan-headed girl agreed and looked expectantly at the boy. They didn't notice that Jack has some questions of his own.

"Bunny's an Australian." The brunette pointed out. "Oh I didn't know that. How did you know?" Teddy asked curiously. Jamie let out a smug smirk and proclaimed, "I've seen Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman and the Easter Bunny! They were in my room at that time!" Jack winced at the memory. Jamie can't still see him that day and it hurt when it was mentioned or remembered. "Lucky you! I always wanted to see them too but I got Jack Frost so that's alright and I'll do my best to imitate the accent next story telling. Anything else?" Teddy asked but Jamie shook his head no.

"Wait. I know that every story ends with a "And they live happily ever after" or "The end" or "Fin" but why did you end yours "To be continued"?" Jack asked and both boys looked at the girl curiously. "You see every story does not have an ending. Yes, it may end to that point but something always comes next. Every end is a new beginning of a story." Teddy explained the boys simultaneously nodded. "Now, Jamie go to sleep and I'll head home. Your mother is probably asleep by now and I guess I'll quietly go downstairs." She said and Jamie slowly but surely closed his eyes. "Yeah kiddo. Don't want to miss Sandy's sand dreams." Jack joked and Jamie smiled in his sleep.

Teddy kissed Jamie's temple and the most energetic boy smiled in his sleep once more. The brunette was now snoring softly under the covers and Teddy quietly chuckled at the cute sight. The green-eyed girl turned off the bedside lamp, leaving the moonbeams as the only light in the room. Jack stared lovingly at the boy and smiled. Jamie's sleeping figure is a cute sight indeed.

"Bye Jack and good night." Teddy suddenly spoke, breaking Jack's gaze as she bit adieu. The pecan-headed girl was about to head to the door but only stopped by the winter spirit by holding her hand. Warm greeted cold. "I have a better idea." Jack whispered, leaving Teddy in confusion. They slowly walked to the window and Teddy was already picking up the trickster's idea. She was supposed to panic but she felt extremely calm. Jack would not let her fall, she knew that.

Jack stepped on the window sill and waited for Teddy to climb beside where he was standing. Teddy approached Jack and repeatedly saying in her mind not to look down. Jack was now on the air and was still holding the girl's hand. Teddy did not leave the window sill yet and Jack gave an inviting and reassuring tug. She stepped out of the window and the one thing she noticed, she was floating, not falling. Teddy let out a hearty laugh and looked thankfully at Jack. The winter spirit let out a smirk as he quietly closed the window of Jamie's bedroom.

They twirled around in the sky before slowly descending on the ground. "That was fun." Teddy said happily and Jack had to smile. Even the smallest of acts can be a big difference on the other. "So where do you live?" Jack asked, looking around the sleeping town. "Right across the street." She said as she pointed at the house across Jamie's. "Let's go then." Jack teased in a gentleman voice and offered his arm. Teddy gladly accepted and they walked down the street and in front of the girl's porch.

They came face to face and smiled at each other. "So I'm a bad joker huh?" Jack teased making Teddy chuckled. "It was only for the purpose of the story." The girl excused. "Right. So Bunny being in love? I can't wait to see that." He said with a hint of not-gonna-happen-in-a-million-years tone. "I don't really know Bunny's history so I made the story up." Teddy informed.

"Right." Jack mumbled and flit of warmth suddenly disappeared as he remembered Jamie's address to the girl. _"Do we have to Ms. Autumn?" _"Why did you lie to my kiddo?" Jack accused. He was not angry but rather bit irritated. "'My kiddo?' and I'm sorry." She said, casting her head down in shame. "He's my kiddo because he's my first believer and I don't like the fact that people or spirits are _hurting _Jamie in any kind or form." The blue-eyed boy pointed out. "And you're not sorry until you explain why." Jack didn't notice that his voice slightly rose and echoed in the quiet town.

Teddy suddenly burst and retorted back, "I'm sorry okay! I gave a fake name because I don't want to get bullied!" And that sentence made Jack regret his small accusation but his pride won't let him say sorry. "You know why I gave you my real name? It's because I trusted you! The very first time you poked my cheek, I knew I could trust you! You knew that I was lying and not alright and I knew I could trust you! I know that you're always there! That is why I believe in you!" Teddy said and sighed in exhaustion. No tears fall from Teddy's beautiful eyes and Jack thank the Man in the Moon for that. The winter spirit was lost with words.

He should not have stated it and kept his suspicions to himself. "You were bullied because of your name?" Jack asked in a dead whisper. Teddy's head slowly nodded and opened her mouth to tell him what happened, "They were laughing at how dorky my name is since kindergarten. Ever since that I always introduced myself as "Autumn", not "Teddy." I only gave my name to the people I trusted. I trusted Jamie of course but he's still a kid so I'll tell him the truth in the future."

"You trusted me?" Jack asked as he pointed his forefinger to his chest. The girl nodded in confirmation. The immortal was dumbfounded and the only sane thing he do was hugged her.

Both Jack and Teddy let out a hearty laugh and slowly broke the hug. "I'm... sorry." Jack breathed out. _Well that was easy. _"I'm sorry for lying." Teddy apologized and they both let out their dashing smile. "Well I best be heading home." The pecan-headed lass pointed out her thumb to her house. "I'm sorry for keeping you out." The bringer of fun chuckled as he apologized once more. "Good night Jack." Teddy said and the Guardian sadly smiled but the green-eyed girl didn't notice. "Good night Teddy. See you tomorrow." Jack replied and saw Teddy running to her front door and giving one last wave before she entered her warm home.

Jack waved even though he knew that Teddy didn't saw him because she is already in her house. The white-haired boy crouched down and jolted up in the air. "Wind!" Jack called and the wind happily answered. "Take me home!" And wind tossed him in the air, either leading him to the frozen lake in the forest or to Santoff Claussen.

One thing was in the boy's mind, _"She trusted me."_

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

Happy Easter everyone! (Okay this greeting is late). Did you do Easter egg hunt or paint eggs by yourself? Or had a sugar rush? No matter what happens, don't stop believing in the Easter Bunny!

First of all, I would like to apologize for disappearing unexpectedly for 6 agonizing days. The reason I disappeared was because my father suddenly declared (Wednesday) that we'll go visit my aunts, uncles and cousins who by the way live 6 hours away from our town. Of course I panicked and hastily packed my bags and decided that I upload this chapter on Thursday but their wi-fi connection there is agonizingly slow and I need to bang my head on the wall and desperately wanted to go home.

I already wrote this chapter on my laptop and I deleted it accidentally three times. The first one was perfect and thank God I don't trust soft copies so I decided to write it on my notebook for extra precautions. And I'm currently uploading this chapter 11 pm in the evening so I'm very sorry because I wanted to go to sleep and still not proofread it but I'll do it later this morning, I promise.

I know you noticed that I didn't write Bunny with an Australian twang but Teddy didn't know that at first until Jamie informed her. Oh I like their little argument, kinda cute.

Okay this chapter's title was suppose to be "A Bedtime Story" but that would be predictable and I want to surprise you all. And also I plan this chapter as an April Fools prank but decided against it because I clearly owed you all a chapter. Okay you're wondering about the girl in Bunny's dream, how Teddy knew that Bunny is a Pooka, why she was in Jamie's house, telling him a bedtime story, why the story is called "Frosted Pen" and other stuff, well it will be explained in the next chapter or so.

Okay my prank was supposed to be like this. I would write the word "Crikey!" 38 times and in the end, you would read a frustrated sleeping Jack, covering his ears to make the Australian word disappear from his mind and little did he know that Bunny was there and the rest of the Guardians playing the recorded voice over and over again.

OKAY I DID THE PRANK! I CAN'T RESIST! SORRY ABOUT THAT! Please don't kill me, throw a frying pan at me or send flames (please don't at the last one). Love you my readers!

Sorry for getting your hopes up for the new chapter.

Oh my gosh! I forgot to tell you all that I'm so proud of myself because I finally wrote a chapter (for a multi-chapter story) that contains 3800+ words! (minus the author's note) Hallelujah! (insert squealing and flailing here)

"Read and review!" Toothiana ordered to her mini fairies all frantically dropped the teeth, flying and bumping towards each other, leaving the Tooth Palace in untamed chaos.

Yours truly, Star.

P.S. I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THAT AND THIS CHAPTER WAS UPLOADED THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE PRANK.


	7. What Boredom Did to Jack

The snowy night gone by so quickly. The waking sun started to bestow rays of beautiful orange, fiery red and summer yellow on the drowsy town of Burgess. Adults started to wake up and children started to stir.

A white-haired boy wearing a blue sweater was gliding through the air and landed gracefully on the frozen lake which he calls "home."

He was no ordinary teenager as he started to skate and twirl on the slippery ice in his bare feet. The blue-eyed boy chuckled softly as he did another perfect skill. The boy was going at a fairly fast pace and turned around as he begin going backwards. After picking up a bit more speed, he leap into the air, completing and perfectly landing a 360.

After practically showing off his skating skills to the trees and snowbanks as his audience, the spirit halted in the middle of the lake and looked down, instead of up.

His handsome features reflected at the clear ice and he suddenly saw himself floating in the water with brown hair, wearing a brown cloak and vest and a white woollen shirt partnered with brown pants.

The spirit suddenly gasped, stumbling down in his crouching position and now lied on the cold hard surface of the ice. He slowly sat up and heard a terrified voice trembly called his name. His memories started to resurface again and the boy tried to suppress it but it came back miserably.

Jack doesn't want to admit it but he actually hated being alone, invisible even though he tried to push it at the back of his mind and have fun instead.

He looked at the moon and let out a profound sigh. Jack looked at the rising sun and decided to bring a mild snow day at Burgess for Jamie's relative's birthday party. He swiftly flew off, leaving a single frozen tear in the middle of his (re)birth place.

* * *

The glowing sun is up there in the sky, hindering its rays from coming out by the fluffy white clouds, and indicating that it was already morning but not hot enough to melt the snow as Jack came back to his beloved town, after bringing snow around the world.

Jack's favourite season, when he was still human until today, is winter. He admitted it to himself that he was glad that he was chosen to be the spirit of winter and was doing his job as both Guardian of Fun and bringer of winter just fine.

He spotted Jamie's house as he glided through the air. There was a lively party in their backyard, full of people carrying gifts and whatnot. The winter spirit saw his best friend, wearing a white dress shirt with a black tie around his collar partnered with black slacks and matching black shoes.

Jack smirked and wished he had a camera right now to take a picture of Jamie's manly outfit. He spotted Sophie, the six-year-old running around, wearing a glittery pink dress and green butterfly wings sewn on her back.

The Guardian of Fun let out a sigh and run his cold fingers through his snowy white hair. He had nothing to do right now because he already finished his bringing-snow-and-fun job and done playing with the Burgess kids.

Jack flew off, not noticing that Jamie saw him perched on their roof and the hellion landed on the Bennetts' front porch, sitting down on the snow-covered lawn. The immortal lazily gazed at the street and saw the house across the road.

_Teddy's house! _Sudden realisation hit him. Teddy, Jamie's bedtime storyteller, lives across the Bennetts. Jack let out a triumphant laugh and jumped off, flying towards Teddy's bedroom window. It was luckily opened and the trickster pushed the glass open, making it squeak lowly.

No one was there and Jack gracefully landed on the center of the room, taking in the details of the mysterious girl's bedroom. He saw the bookshelf and flawlessly jumped right in front of the said furniture, checking out the titles engraved on the old spines.

There was the _Lord of the Rings trilogy, _the_ Harry Potter series, _a collection of _Stephen King's books, The Grimms' Tales, Anderson's Fairytales, The Book Thief _and many more. The winter bringer noticed the rose carefully put in a vase perched in an empty spot of the bookshelf and a soft smile hung on the boy's face.

Jack was still curious where Teddy is and exited the room, leaving a trail of frost on the carpeted ground. He went down the stairs and there she was, nimbly sweeping off the dust residing on the floor with one hand. "Hey." The white-haired hellion spoke up, making the girl let out a surprised yelp.

"Jack don't scare me like that or I'll get a heart attack!" She complained, almost dropping the broom she was gripping at. "Doing house chores?" Jack teasingly asked and Teddy begrudgingly nod.

Jack sat on the couch, leaving intricate frost all over the comfy seat. His gaze fell upon Teddy who was wearing a cream-colored V-neck sweater and a white-collar shirt underneath the winter clothing. The storyteller was wearing a pair of jeans and white socks while sweeping the floor. A blue apron was tied around her waist, making her look like a housemaid.

"Can I help?" Jack inquired, clearly not sure if he was glad to help or not. The boy had never done any house chores before.

It was not the same chores he did in Santoff Claussen or in the Warren when pulled off a messy prank like splattering paint all over the Globe Room or leaving blocks of ice inside the Pooka's Warren. The winter spirit would scrub off the dried paint or defrost the ice which requires a lot of energy.

"Sure. You can pick up those empty bottles scattered around the floor." Teddy let out a thankful smile and continued sweeping the dusty floor. It was an easy job, picking up the bottles and Jack finished it within the minute. He did not clearly like the smell of alcoholic drinks.

"Who drinks this stuff?" The boy asked as he closed the garbage filled with empty bottles with a sturdy knot. "My father." The girl replied casually as she swept the remaining dust inside the dust pan.

Jack did not plan to further question about the girl's father because he would invade Teddy's privacy (which he clearly disliked when someone did the same thing to him) and instead, happily helped Teddy with her chores like arranging the heavy furnitures, dusting off the fragile figurines, and lastly, washing and drying off the dishes.

"If you're really going to help, might as well put this on." Teddy announced as she brought out a white apron and perfectly tied it around Jack's waist and they went about with Teddy's chores.

* * *

They finished most of the chores and was doing the last one, washing and drying off the dishes. The hellion's job is to dry the washed dishes while the green-eyed girl is to wash the dirty ones because Jack might unintentionally freeze the water coming out of the faucet.

It all started with a low humming from Teddy and now they're both belting AC/DC's _"Highway to Hell."_ "I'm gonna highway to hell!" They both shouted and suddenly broke into laughter. "That was fun." Teddy mused and earned a smirk from Jack. "I agree. I thought we're going to sing Christmas songs but with AC/DC, man we rock!" The blue-eyed boy chuckled.

They faced each other, grinned knowingly and suddenly belt _"Don't You Forget About Me"_ by Simple Minds at the top of their lungs. The dishes were properly put on the china cabinet and the two teenagers sat on the couch, resting their tired limbs off. "It's a tiring day indeed." The pecan-headed girl muttered and gave the hellion a weary smile.

Jack had to agree, it was both fun and a tiring day indeed.

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

**Guest (from Chapter 5): I'm sorry, I'm just trying to do a good prank like Jack.**

**Guest (from Chapter 6): Strange in a good way perhaps?**

Okay I've been in a depressing mood for a while now and when I'm depressed, I alway think and ask myself... _a lot_. First, I asked myself, am I writing the story that would catch many RotG fans' attention? I don't know what to answer but you, my readers, know.

My mother is always asking me about _Mary Sue stories _and I would search it up on the internet so that I could give her a well-explained answer and now that I thought of it, I think this story is a Mary Sue too because it has an OC and falls in love with a canon and blah blah blah. Tell me my good readers, do you still want me to continue this? I don't want to add this to the pile of Mary Sues, Canon/OC, stereotype stories.

I've been so negative of the outcome of this story because what if people won't try to read it because it's a Mary Sue, it has an OC and stereotypical. When you leave a review, please type in your answer on whether I continue this or not. If a lot says that I should not continue this (5 reviews or so), I would move on to my new story and forget about this altogether. That's all for now and goodbye.

"Read... Zzz... and re–view, mate." Bunny murmured as he sprawl his tired body after an Easter Day's hard work.

Yours truly, Star.


	8. A Shocking Turn of Events

_Jack had to agree, it was both fun and a tiring day indeed._

* * *

The dull _tick-tock _of the old grandfather clock echoed in the dining room. The droplets of water coming from the kitchen was the only sound that constantly breaking the eerie silence. A soft snore came from the living room and there they were, Jack and Teddy falling asleep on each other.

The girl's head used Jack's cold shoulder as a pillow and the winter spirit did the same to Teddy's head. Even the evilest of all doesn't want to disturb the tranquility emitted by the two.

They were now snuggling each other, trying to find warmth and the other, coldness. The duo didn't know that they are doing this and probably don't need to.

* * *

_Ringing is all she could hear. She slowly opened her green eyes, blinking away the blurriness. She was greeted with blinding light and groaned as she slowly sat up. Everything around her is white. The walls, the ceiling, the bed and even her clothes. There was a buzzing crowd at her left and she observed what they are doing, curious of what they're poking around._

_An unconscious woman lay on the bed. "She started bleeding again!" A woman, somewhat a nurse, bellowed. The girl was preoccupied at the frantic events happening in front of her that she forgot about her well-being. Two more doctors came and checked the woman's condition. Her curious emerald orbs gazed at the monitor, a heart monitor to be exact._

_The woman's heart is beating in a slow rhythm, almost calming the girl. Its slow beeping sound echoed inside the room. They are in an emergency room but the girl care less about her surroundings. All of a sudden, there was a prolonged monotonous beep. That flat piercing sound penetrated all of their ears and chaos suddenly erupted._

_"CLEAR!" A panicking doctor declared, holding two paddles, pressing it on the woman's chest, making the body jolt upwards. A defibrillator, the girl guessed and she watched how they insistently tried to revive the woman but to no avail, their hard work had come to waste. The girl sitting on the bed sends her unspoken condolences to the woman._

_As the crowd died down, she felt a tugging sensation in her chest and soon, her vision blurred and darkness consumed her._

* * *

_She was now standing at the side of the road. A moment ago, she was in an emergency room of a hospital but now, she is standing in the middle of a cold pathway beside the quiet road. The girl shivered, tightening the coat around her. Her clothes unknowingly changed. From a hospital gown to a coat and boots. There's nothing she can do if she stand there alone in the middle of a cold night so she walked, her boots scrunching the snow-covered ground._

_Two bright lights suddenly glowed from her back and she whipped around, seeing the speeding car. The girl was about to shrug it off when suddenly, the vehicle drove through the slippery ice, lose control of the wheel and crashed on a hard lamp post. Because of the impact, the car was flipped over into the air, crashed into the ground and rolled over for a couple of times. It would be a miracle if one of the passengers survived in the incident. The girl's eyes went wide and she tried to call for help but no one can hear her. Luckily, there was another person near her and called 911._

_After a few minutes, a crowd started to form and she could finally hear the sounds of sirens coming from a distance. An ambulance and two police cars arrived the scene and asked the bystanders. She tried to volunteer to answer the questions the policemen asked but to no avail, they can't see her. The green-eyed girl finally gave up and inspected the incident instead. A woman, no more than her mid-twenties was seated on the driver's seat and no one else was there. The girl closed her eyes before the image of an unconscious woman burned in her memory._

_The paramedics brought out the woman, blood trickling on the freshly fallen snow, making it scarlet red. All she could see is the haunting red stain on the snow. Blood trickled from the woman's head and tainted the beautiful white substance coming from the clouds above._

_She let out a profound sigh and calmed her shaken nerves. She opens her green eyes and stared at the indistinguishable vehicle. It was a hard collision with the lamp post. The hood of the car was bent, wrecking the whole engine after the hit. Shards of broken glass from the windows were scattered everywhere. The broken blinking light blinded her eyes momentarily. The vehicle was a total wreckage and there's nothing they can do to get it fixed. It was a sight for sore eyes, as they say._

_The same tugging sensation occurred in her chest and she was engulfed by darkness._

_She opened her eyes and frowned. She was in the same emergency room again, the same scene unfolding right in front of her eyes. As the anonymous woman died, she felt the tugging sensation again and now, she's in the same walkway, watching the accident occurred. Soon a horrifying cycle started. The emergency room then the tugging sensation, the car accident and then the tugging sensation occurring again._

_The girl felt like the cycle's happening eternally and when she's back in the car accident, she started to run and scream. Scream of how horrifying this is. Scream of how someone would punish her to see these events over and over again. Scream that she cannot escape and when her legs tired out, she started screaming again. Then her body started to shake violently and someone's calling her name in a panicking tone. "Teddy! Teddy! Teddy!" It repeated and all she could utter is, "Huh?" And then darkness engulfed her once more._

* * *

"Teddy, wake up!" Someone shouted frantically. Teddy slowly opened her eyes, looking directly at the owner of those bright blue eyes. "Huh?" She hoarsely whispered, like in her dream or rather the most horrifying nightmare. "What... happened?" She asked in a whispery voice, holding her head and sitting up comfortably. She was in a slouching position and her head pounded vigorously. "You had a nightmare." Jack explained as he sighed in relief to see the girl is finally awake and well.

"You kept screaming and screaming and that woke me up to see you thrashing." Jack implied and smiled sadly. Then everything started rushing back in her mind. Jack suddenly hugged her and whispered comforting words on her ear. She must have trembled violently to get a chilly embrace from the winter spirit. "I'm... okay." The girl reassured her friend but Jack did not believe her that easily.

"You're lying. Do you–ah, wanna to talk about your dream... er, nightmare?" Jack sheepishly asked and the girl chuckled but shook her head no. "I would rather not. It's downright horrifying." Teddy laughed the truth away. She did want to talk about it but she can't bring herself to talk about it with Jack. The girl didn't want to add more problems to the busy white-haired hellion.

The pecan-headed girl looked at the clock and gasped. It's already 6:00 p.m. and she needed to be in Jamie's house now! "Jiminey! We need to go to Jamie's house right now!" She suddenly declared, making Jack jumped up from his long trance. Teddy scampered and found a mirror, checking herself. "I like your messy hair." The Guardian of Fun said coolly, making the green-eyed lass flushed in embarrassment.

She went upstairs, Jack following suite. Teddy murdered her bedroom door and ran in front of her personal mirror, snatching the comb from the table. The storyteller was about to brush it on her hair when suddenly Jack grabbed it from her, receiving a pout from the girl. The prankster made her sit in front of the mirror as Jack thoroughly combed the knots from her silky hair. "I still need to change my clothes!" Teddy shouted and tapped her finger on the wooden table impatiently.

"You look beautiful so you don't need to change." Jack complimented, seemed to be transfixed on unknotting her messy hair. Once again, Teddy blushed furiously and fixes her collar and smoothen her sweater to distract herself instead. Jack doesn't know what's happening to him. Suddenly throwing off compliments on his first human girl friend (same his _physical _age). Although, he had to admit, she looked cute with messy hair and in her today's attire.

"There! All done!" Jack smiled at his work and returned the brush to its original place. Teddy looked at her hair and Jack did a remarkable job in combing it. Her pecan-colored hair is silky once more and free from painful knots. She noticed that there were frost limply clutching her hair and she giggled. Jack threw a sheepish and apologetic smile to the storyteller.

"Let's go!" The green-eyed girl grabbed the blue-eyed boy's hand and was about to exit the room when he was tugged back by Jack, making her arm screamed in pain. She tried to hide it from the boy's senses and she was successful. "I have a better idea." He whispered the same thing he said last night when they exited through the window.

A smile was brought upon the girl's face as Jack stepped on the window sill and waited for Teddy to climb beside where he was standing. The winter spirit was the first one to fly out of the window, waiting for Teddy to imitate his nimble actions. She was at the edge of the window sill whilst looking down from her second-floor window. She was still a little bit afraid but she knows that the Guardian of Fun would catch her. Jack gave an inviting and reassuring tug, making Teddy let go as her arm screamed in pain once more.

The release of their hold with each other made the girl fall from her bedroom window. Jack, for a split second, panicked but easily swooped her (bridal-style) before she could hit the snow-covered ground and have broken bones or worse, a brain injury. "Thanks." She breathed out as the winter spirit let go of her and helped her stand up. Teddy was still trembling from the fall but she did not scream to Jack's incredibility. The immortal was wondering why she suddenly recoiled when he tugged her arm.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked, looking extremely worried for the girl. "Yeah. Just a little frightened 'is all." Teddy reassured. "I'm sorry." The hellion shyly apologized. "Don't be. It's my fault that I suddenly let go." Teddy smiled reassuringly. Jack carefully grabbed Teddy's arm, making her hissed in pain. "What happened to your arm?" The boy gaped as he looked shockingly at her bandaged arm when he rolled up her sleeve. "Where did you get that?" Jack asked again, not bothered by Teddy's sudden fidgeting. "I'm fine." She tried to brush off the topic. "Okay but this conversation is not over since we are in a hurry." Jack sighed and they slowly trudge their way to Jamie's house built across the street.

* * *

Teddy rang the doorbell, waiting for a few seconds for someone to answer the front door. The door swung open, revealing a smiling Mrs. Bennett. "Oh Autumn! You're here! Come in! Come in!" And Teddy obliged politely. Mrs. Bennett suddenly felt a cold breeze passed by her and she shivered slightly. If only Mrs. Bennett knew that it was just _the_ Jack Frost who passed by. As Jack passed by Mrs. Bennett, he made a mental note to ask Teddy's purpose for coming to the Bennett's house to tell a bedtime story to his first believer every night.

"I'm sorry for the noise coming from the backyard. We're celebrating Jamie's uncle's birthday." The doting woman smiled apologetically at the girl. "That's alright Mrs. Bennett. Is Jamie in his bedroom?" The green-eyed girl asked politely. "That's Aunt Grace for you little lady and yes, Jamie is in his room but before you go up, why don't you go eat dinner with me?" Grace offered but Teddy kindly shook her head. "No thanks Mrs–ah, Aunt Grace. I don't want to impose." The lass shyly answered, almost calling Grace Mrs. Bennett again. In all honesty, Teddy is quite hungry and hasn't eaten dinner yet. "I insist. Come, come!" And they made their way to the dining room.

"This is delicious Mrs.–ah, Aunt Grace." Teddy complimented, savouring the flavour of the pasta Mrs. Bennett cooked. The two ladies chitchat as Jack made his way to Jamie's room. He slowly stopped in front of a door where a Bigfoot drawing was taped on the surface. The winter spirit slowly turned the brass doorknob and the door swung open.

There Jamie was, in front of his mirror, trying to loosen the necktie but to no avail, it got stuck. "Let me help you with that." Jack declared, making Jamie jumped like a spooked cat. Jamie, at first, didn't notice Jack's presence. The hellion let out a chuckle before trying to get off the piece of black clothing stuck around Jamie's neck.

* * *

After a couple of minutes, the boys can't figure out how to remove the stuck necktie. They did not loosen it because what they only did is tighten it more around the poor boy's neck. Jack suggested that he should freeze the necktie solid and shatter it. On the other hand, the brunette hastily disagreed, saying that his necktie is from his grandfather.

The winter spirit winced and chuckled, apologizing to the pouting kid. The door swung open, making the two best friends jumped in surprise. Teddy was there, staring at the two. Jack was still holding the boy's necktie, trying to think of something without using his powers. Jamie stared at his stubborn black necktie, pondering on what they could possibly do to remove it without damaging the garment.

"So whatcha doin'?" She asked, looking slightly amused at the frustration etching on the boys' faces. "My necktie's stuck." Jamie complained in aggravation. Teddy let out a giggle and approached them. "'Cause you're untying it the wrong way." She gently snatched the necktie from Jack's cold hands and worked her way with her magic.

After a while, the necktie dangle on the boy's neck, unknotted. "Maybe next time, you should ask the expert in this group." The storyteller winked making the boys groaned. "Fine, fine." Jack agreed in defeat. Jamie ran out of his room, eager to strip away the fancy clothes. "So what did you and Mrs. Bennett talked about?" Jack asked as he sat on Jamie's window sill. "Nothing in particular. She asked how I was and I answered I was fine and we ate in comfortable silence." The lassie answered coolly but not completely honest.

"But you're not fine." Jack protested. "Yes I am!" Teddy argued. "Who says they're fine when they actually have a broken arm?" The winter spirit scoffed and twirled his staff wearily. "Would please drop the subject?" The human girl defeatedly pleaded but before the white-haired hellion can answer, Jamie barged in his room. "So guys, what are you talking about?" The boy asked curiously. "Nothing." The two mumbled. They don't wanna bring Jamie to their _little _argument.

"So what story are you going to tell me?" Jamie asked in excitement as he plopped down on his soft bed. "It's a surprise." Teddy winked and tucked the little boy. Laughter erupted from the outside and Jamie frowned. "How am I supposed to sleep when there are noise coming from the outside?" The brunette complained. "All you need is a bedtime story." And the two boys adjusted comfortably in their current positions, ready to hear another beautifully crafted story of Teddy Ross.

* * *

_Once upon a time…_

_It all started in a little quiet town. It was already December 20 and children can already feel the Christmasy vibe. The little town _**_love_**_ Christmas. They always celebrate it as one big family. Whether rich or poor, no one was left out during the holiday season._

_One man however, doesn't like the cheerful Christmas songs, the lively noise coming from the party and the excited squeals of the children when receiving their Christmas presents._

"Is this about the Grinch?" Jamie suddenly interrupted. Teddy just shook her head no and continued the story.

_His name is Nicholas St. North._

Jack choked and coughed violently. The storyteller shot him a dirty look.

_He is a jolly man but Sir North doesn't like the holiday season. He likes to celebrate Christmas in peace and a cup of eggnog acquainted with a warm blanket. Many people don't like his perspective and sometimes accused, "Why don't you like Christmas? You're practically the one who's bringing the joy to it!" True to the civilians' words, he was practically the one because his name is Nicholas St., which is St. Nicholas (when you read it from right to left) or Santa Clause but there is no actual Santa Clause around their time._

_The huge man doesn't really despise Christmas. He just has no one to celebrate it with and that made him dislike the holiday. The sad truth is, North–as he preferred to be called– is a very lonely man. The bulky man is a renowned wood carver and a master of two (always sharpen) swords._

_Royals, from all around the country, ordered from his workshop. On December 21, a royal man ordered something he didn't expect someone to order. "A toy?" He exclaimed to his assistant. "Yes Sir North. The Prince from Nizhny Novgorod." His assistant informed blatantly. The wood carver groaned. How was he supposed to think of a "toy" to carve before December 23? "Fine. You're in charge of the shop. I'll go for a walk." The man sighed and exited his workshop. He tightened the cape around him and trudge his way through the snow-covered ground. Children were running around with knitted scarfs around their neck and coats to protect them from the cold._

_North decided to approach them. The children wondered why the man who doesn't like Christmas crouched before them. "Hey little ones." He greeted cheerily. "Hey mister. You have a long beard." A boy, no more than a wee 5 years old tugged his long black beard. North smiled playfully and ticked the boy. "You're on the Naughty list!" He boomed making the little children quirked their eyebrows. "What's a "Naughty list" mister?" A curious girl with big brown eyes asked._

_"It's where Santa writes your name when you cause mischief and he would only give you coal on Christmas." He explained. The children frowned and some pouted. "I'll be nice then! So that Santa would give me my Christmas present." Another boy declared. North ruffled the child's hair and smiled fondly. "So what do you like to get for Christmas?" The man asked. "A prince!" "A sword!" "A treasure chest!" They threw off answers simultaneously, their eyes glimmering with excitement. The man laughed and ruffled each and every one of their heads. "It's best to be in my way. Merry Christmas children!" He waved farewell and he received a cheery goodbye. "Goodbye mister! Merry Christmas!"_

_Their answers gave him an inspiration and ran off to his workshop, eager to start with his order. "Benen, tell me about the Prince's child." He ordered, plopping down on his desk chair. "Oh!" His assistant said in pure shock. "Well, she's a little girl. Just 6 years old and she likes to wear different kinds of gowns and act." North nodded because that's only the information he needed._

_The wood carver soon started to work, day and night without food and sleep. On the 23rd of December, he finally finished painting his carved work and sighed in relief. An intricate and marvelous contraption, as they say. North perfectly carved a princess and painted her detailed gown with floral pink. She has ocean blue eyes, long brown hair and a gold tiara adorning the top of her head. His assistant, Benen, curiously pulled a small lever beside and the princess and the wooden doll took a bow on the right and on the left._

_The rusty little bell attached to his workshop door chimed and looked at the visitor. The Prince himself is there, with his little daughter hiding behind his noble red cape. North handed the toy already wrapped with delicate parchments of papers. "Thank you Sir Nicholas." The Prince nodded and handed a tiny pouch of silver coins. "спасибо." North bowed and caught a glimpse of the girl's enlightened face when she received her early Christmas present._

_The Prince and his daughter left and so did Benen. His assistant took his leave for the holiday season and he was left alone, again. North closed the shop earlier than the usual and went in his personal room and laid down on his bed, covering himself with a comfy stitched-up blanket._

_The happiness and wonder etched on the little girl's face made him giddy. He wants to see it again. The light brought upon a child's face when they received a gift. North suddenly sat up, adrenaline coursing through his body. He jumped out of his bed and went to his workshop, eager to start his job. He knew the number of children living in his town and started to work._

_He finished all the wood-carved and painted toys just before midnight of December 24. They were already wrapped and addressed to a child. North put it all in a red sack and decided to go outside in the wintry Christmas Eve to deliver those toys on their doorstep. One by one, the doorsteps of each of the neighboring houses were filled with brightly colored wrapped presents. He finished his job at dawn of the 25th of December. North went back to his workshop and merely observed from his window as the children–who are still in their night dresses– opened their doors and gasped at the presents placed on their doormats._

_The town children squealed in delight when they read who is it from. "Merry Christmas! From, Santa Clause." They went inside their warm homes, excited to tell their parents about the gift. Away from the delights of the kids stood North inside his workshop, a satisfied smile on his face, wonder in his blue eyes and warmth in his beating heart. Maybe he really does love Christmas. And from that moment on, he decided to be there for the children when the holiday season comes, to be the actual Santa Clause._

_To be continued..._

* * *

Jamie softly snored as Teddy she stopped her story into an end. Maybe the brunette fell asleep because of exhaustion or because of the lull the story is emitting. Either way, the boy is finally sound asleep. The girl kissed Jamie's forehead goodnight and tucked his blanket under his chin. The 9 year old sighed in content as he snuggled in his comforters.

Teddy turned off the boy's bedside lamp and looked expectantly at Jack. The winter spirit had a shocked expression on his face. He shook off his head and grabbed her arm gently. He leads her in front of the window. Jack turned to look at Teddy and opened his mouth but closed it, quickly changing his mind. "I'm not going to let go." The green-eyed girl reassured and that's all Jack needs as they flew out of the room and closed the window behind them. No one is there to witness their silence as they slowly descend on Teddy's front porch.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jack whispered worriedly. Teddy nodded, giving Jack a reassuring little smile. The winter spirit would not let go of Teddy's hand and squeezed it worriedly. "I'm fine Jack." She let out a soft whisper. The white-haired boy nodded lithely and let go of her hand. "Good night Jack." She bid farewell and started walking to her front door. "See you tomorrow!" He called out, making Teddy turn and smiled as she looked at the waving immortal. She waved back and closed the door behind her.

Jack was wondering why he let her off that easily, especially when she has a broken for no particular reason. He stood in front of her house for a while, imagining that she would run outside and tell him everything that is wrong but she didn't and Jack decided to leave. He was about to call the wind when suddenly a truck parked in Teddy's driveway and a drunken man went out of the driver's seat, still holding an unfinished bottle. The man stumbles his way to front door and dug through his jeans pocket, trying to find his key. A sign of recognition that he still has the key, he opened the door and closed it behind him.

Jack cocked an eyebrow and decided to stay for a while as he entered the storyteller's house through an opened window.

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

I apologize for the grammatical mistakes because English is not my mother tongue.

"_спасибо." _is Russian for thank you and pronounced as _spasibo. Nizhny Novgorod_ is the fifth largest city in Russia. I picked that because it's a large city and has a seat of medieval princes. The toy North made resembled the prince's daughter's characteristics, since she likes to act and dress up.

I posted a one-shot entitled "His Precious Drawing." Try reading it but anyway, I should stop with this selfish promotion.

So I hope you like my chapter that reached 4,800+ words, for the first time! Hope you like the nightmare because I did a brain blast for the perfect nightmare. Fun fact, I sometimes dragged my father when in my Fanfiction business. He's the one I'm screaming at when you left a good review. Yes, I decided to continue it because there's a lot of curious readers out there who wants to know what happen next. And oh, I liked the cliffhanger.

So Teddy's story is not really true, since we really don't know how North became the Santa Clause. It was kind of hard to write and I know you are all wondering how Teddy knew North's full name and that he's from Russia but don't worry, your questions will be answered in the future because I'm not going to reveal it directly. There is a lot to clarify so I'm going to say it all here. Yes, I added a little brotherly affection between the two. About the necktie getting stuck, it was based on my personal experience. I like wearing neckties over tank tops and shorts hihi and one day it got stuck around my neck and with my mother's magic, it was unknotted easily.

This nightmare is different from the last but don't worry, your curiosity will be fed in the future. You're wondering where she got the broken arm but you'll see. Actually, I already decided what my ending is going to be like, oops, I just made you more curious. So this chapter was supposed to be uploaded on April 9 but I spent a lot of time, trying to write an always mind-blowing (not really) chapter for all of you.

Okay I'm being chatty in this author's note so I need to stop. Please review because I really need your feedback, especially about the nightmare and the bedtime story. I'm desperate!

"Read and review." North translated what Phil, the yeti, is yapping all about.

Yours truly, Star.

Thank you very (insert infinity sign here) much to Evil's Horcrux, EmeraldRhino, 1234567891guest and XxSaphirezxX for reassuring me that this not a Mary Sue story.

P.S. I'm only 13 years old (insert shocked gasps here, lol) _See ya soon!__  
_


	9. Bravery

_Jack cocked an eyebrow and decided to stay for a while as he entered the storyteller's house through an opened window._

* * *

The wasted man grunted as he sat down on one of the chairs in the living room. He lazily snatched the remote from the coffee table and opened the T.V. He flipped through the channels boringly, trying to find a good show to watch. Jack sat on his _usual seat _on the couch and watches the man, in his mid-thirties, do his thing.

Creaking floorboards echoed around the place and the winter spirit turned around, seeing Teddy rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Dad?" Sleep still evident in her tired voice. But the man paid no attention into answering his daughter's call.

Teddy, now fully awake, trudges her way in front of the television and shot a glare at her father. "Get out of the way!" Her drunken father exclaimed, trying to shoo his daughter away from the T.V. He was watching a good show, about a man who had stolen the bank money but only burned it so he could get away from the authorities.

"No." Teddy sternly declined. Jack–still being unnoticed by his friend– looked horrified. Saying that he was shocked was an understatement. He never heard the girl speak like that before, much less expects that she can actually talk like that.

"Listen you impudent little brat, either you get out of the way or I'll slap your face." The man threatened, levelling the intensity of his daughter's glare. "No you listen to me. Why do you have to drink all the time? Why can't we just act like a normal family? Why don't you let Mum go and move on?" She threw her father questions, rhetorical ones that made Arthur irritated.

The show only became a background noise, as they won't break from their staring contest. If looks could kill, they would be brutally murdered by now. He unpredictably turned off the T.V. The living room soon engulfed by darkness, the only light coming from their opened window. Moonbeams hit each other's face, showing one's similarities.

Teddy got her hair colour from her father and his demeanour. If her father isn't drunk right now, you could see the calmness ridden on his face, like what Teddy always plastered on hers. That's why Jack easily felt comfortable around her because she was calm. Calmness soothed the immortal teen.

Teddy's father suddenly stood up, making Jack did the same as well. He quietly brought out his staff and prepares to let out frost from his powerful stick if the man decided to lay a finger on Teddy. The boy didn't know why he was suddenly being overprotective but he does not have the time to muse about it right now.

"I love your mother! I don't want to move on and I'm going drink as much as I like!" Her father declared, seemed to act like a selfish child. "No! You're ruining all of this! If Mum is here, do you think she would allow you to continue with your behaviour?" And the question was out. She never noticed that she had spoken it out loud, the trigger. Teddy covered her gaping mouth, not entirely believing that the question easily slipped from her mouth.

Arthur seethed and brought out his hand. Before Jack could freeze it in mid-air, the man already struck a blow on Teddy's face. The impact made her knees wobbled and she collided on the cold hard ground with a thud. Teddy cupped her throbbing reddish cheek, trying to force back her stubborn tears.

Arthur stepped forward and grabbed a handful of the girl's hair, bringing her upwards. "Listen to me you ungrateful puny bitch, I'm the one who's feeding you, giving you shelter and keeping you alive. How dare you oppose me?! I hate it when you bring your mother in our conversation. Shut your trap and go back to bed or do you want another broken arm?"

"Our conversation is all about my mother and your wife! She's the one driving you into this! If you just follow my advice and move on, you're not hurting your daughter right now!" And that's it; Arthur badly wanted to snap her one good arm. Before he could touch her, his arm feel like it's made out of lead and when he looked at it, it was frozen solid, glimmering under the moonlight that's making its way inside the living room.

Seeing her escape, she yanked her hair away, falling on the ground once more. Teddy sacrificed a few strands of hair to get away. "Stay behind me!" Someone shouted and she looked up, seeing bright blue eyes stare back at her with worry. Teddy scrambled up, making her way behind Jack's back.

The winter spirit froze Arthur's legs, all the way up to his knees. Of course, Arthur didn't know that it was all Jack's doing as he tried to break free from the ice's cold hard grip. The white-haired hellion froze his other arm and grabbed Teddy's good elbow and he dragged her upstairs.

The Guardian of Fun locked the bedroom door and Teddy sighed in relief. "I won't let you escape brat!" Someone bellowed from downstairs. Jack felt a shiver down his spine even though he's the spirit of winter. "Thank y–" "No time for that!" He suddenly cut the thanking girl, "Change and do it quickly! Grab a coat and a pair of shoes!" Frost ordered and Teddy suddenly panicked whilst making her way to her closet.

The blue-eyed spirit turned around, giving some privacy to the human girl. He has some decency not to peak at a lady who is currently changing. Jack could hear shuffles behind his back and a few grunts from downstairs. "Done!" The green-eyed girl called and the winter spirit turned around and stared in awe.

He once again thought she was _downright_ cute. Teddy was wearing a new white collar shirt underneath a round neck navy blue sweater sewn with a white star pattern partnered with jeans and a black belt strapped around her waist. The girl still acquired her bed hair but the 17-year-old boy decided not to point it, knowing that it will just get ruined once they took flight.

They could hear angry and heavy footsteps making their way upstairs and Teddy hastily put on a black coat with matching black pumps. She miserably suppressed a yelp when Jack's arm got under her knees and placed on her back, as she was carried bridal style by the immortal teen.

"Hold my staff and if you drop it, I'll kill you." He threatened playfully and they exit through the window. Teddy looked back to see her bedroom doorknob broken and her father's disheveled figure, screaming at the top of his lungs in pure frustration that she had got away.

The winter spirit saw the little scene as well and chuckled merrily. Teddy's grip around his staff tightened as he sped up. They landed on top of a closed building and both teenagers sighed in utter relief. "Thank you so much Jack." Teddy breathed out and tackled the spirit in a crushing hug. Jack winced at first, not used with the affectionate gesture but hugged her back nonetheless. It felt so relieving, her hug.

The pounding of his heart suddenly halt into a stop and return to its normal beating. The speeding beating started when Arthur threatened and struck a blow on Teddy's face. The prankster now starts to loathe the man but he tried to ignore it. Jack wouldn't loathe a man without any particular reason and he does not have one. His heart sped up once more when he felt the malice of Arthur wanting to break his own daughter's arm.

"I don't need any saving. I don't want to be another damsel in distress." She air-quoted the last three words when she broke the hug. Jack suddenly frowned. Teddy confusingly noticed something flicker in his eyes. Disappointment, maybe? Disappointed that she did not want his help?

"I'm sorry." She apologized quickly and hung her head in shame. Maybe her father was right. Maybe she really was an ungrateful puny bitch. "No, no, no. It's fine." Jack reassured and let out a smile. _Fake. _It was one of Teddy's special abilities. She can easily read someone's emotions and she read Jack's like an open book. She read that Jack was disappointed that she does not need his help. She read that Jack doesn't like being rejected.

The pecan-headed girl let out a distressed sigh and tried to smile for the snowy white haired boy. "I appreciated your help, really," She insisted and emphasized the last word, "I just don't want you to get caught up with my problems. I don't want to be a burden." Teddy let out a small smile but Jack did not smiled back.

"I don't care." The boy whispered but the 16-year-old did not hear what he lowly said. "Huh?" Was the girl's mere reply. "I don't care that I would get caught up with your problems. You're not a damsel in distress. A damsel in distress would not oppose her own father but you did so you're not one. Actually you're more of a brave warrior." It was deep what Jack said and Teddy tackled him in a hug once more. The bringer of fun gladly returned it, without hesitation this time.

"Now," He broke the hug, beaming at her, "Let's go!" "To where?" She asked curiously. Teddy does not want to go back to her house but she knew that Jack wouldn't drag her back there. "It'll be a surprise." Was the only thing the boy replied when he gently took her hand and they suddenly hoisted up into the air. "Wind," Jack called out, "Take us home!" And the wind gladly did so.

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

(inserted gasps here) I updated earlier than usual!

I really like this chapter although it's not one of my best because it explained how Teddy is so brave to start an argument with her father. And I sprinkled this chapter with a little bit of angst. For the first time, I wrote an abusive scene that ended well. This is a mild one but there are a lot of harsh ones to come so beware.

The chapter's end is not what I exactly planned out but this is a whole lot better. I was supposed to write Teddy being so terrified that she clung dearly around Jack but where's the fun in that right? And I have another reason why I altered the ending but it's a secret.

And you're all wondering what happened to her mother but everything will be answered in the future.

You're all probably wondering why I updated earlier. It's because of my insomnia. I can't sleep and then I decided to grab my laptop and the next thing I knew I writing this chapter 12:50 in a Wednesday early morning. I guess you thank my insomnia for an early update.

Okay I have a funny story to tell. I was tumblring and looking at various artists who draw RotG fan art. I came across a really good artist and I was scrolling down, looking at her work, when I came across a HiJack sex scene, my eyeballs almost fell out their sockets, not because of the scene, but because my dad is sitting right next to me!

I was chatting with him and he suddenly stopped talking when I stopped scrolling and landed on that image. Not wanting to be accused for being a "13-year-old who's looking at inappropriate images" I scrolled down again, trying to ease the tension and a whole lot of awkwardness. I learned my lesson and moved a great distance from my dad when he stood up to reach his coffee mug.

Now we all have that incidents right? Okay I'm babbling again, I should stop doing this. I need to sleep so goodbye fellas!

"Read and–Hahahahaha! Review." All of the Guardians said while trying to stifle their laughter because of my klutzy incident.

Your ever careless author, Star.

P.S. This story is rated T for a reason.


	10. Jumpy Rabbit?

_"Wind," Jack called out, "Take us home!" And the wind gladly did so._

* * *

"Where are we going?" The green-eyed girl, not clearly spooked out from flying, asked the winter spirit she was holding hands with. "I told you before that it's a surprise." And no more questions were asked.

She noticed that they passed New York City, Canada, and a whole lot of other places. They were heading north and Teddy is still wondering where could they be going but didn't utter it to the boy.

Jack noticed that Teddy's eyes are sometimes drooping and she would suddenly jolt, trying to shake off the sleepiness. They slowly descend on a building and she gave him a confused look. "Sleepy?" He softly asked and she nodded, trying to rub the persistent sleep from her eyes. After all, it was bedtime when she got engaged on a fight with her father.

The bringer of fun went in front of the tired girl and crouched down. "What are you doing Jackie?" She whispered, not noticing that she had given the boy a nickname. Jack chuckled and looked back at her. "Offering you a piggyback of course." He replied as if it is the most normal thing to say. "No that's alright. I'm fine! I can manage." Teddy tiredly said, throwing different kinds of reassurance at the boy.

"You're lying to me again." He simply implied and Teddy reluctantly ride on the winter spirit's back. Jack securely placed his hands under Teddy's knees as she wrapped her arms around his neck and Frost let out an accomplished smile. Soon, the girl fell asleep, the hellion's shoulder under her chin, and she sometimes snuggle on the crook of the boy's neck.

The white-haired boy let out a hearty chuckle and slowly crouch down to take off. He noticed that Teddy is light, lighter than him perhaps but he shrugged it off and took off into the air. Teddy would have enjoyed the view if she's not asleep but Jack can't help that she's tired. Sometimes the green-eyed girl would stir when the wind is harsh but she would eventually drift into a deeper sleep.

Teddy was half-asleep when she suddenly felt a familiar chill greeted her, not Jack's, but winter's. The chill Jack always bring is a friendly one. The cold seemed comforting you but this one is a bit harsh. Not caring that she was cold as it nipped her exposed skin. Soon the snowfall cleared out and Jack nudged the sleeping girl.

The pecan-headed girl finally woke up and adjusted her vision. She let out a startled gasp as her gaze fell upon the building. There, stood right in front of her is Santa's workshop. She suddenly felt dizzy and her mind became temporarily fuzzy. Teddy didn't believe that Jack, her spirit friend, would bring her to one of her childhood hero's humble abode.

"We're in the North Pole?" She asked, trying to reassure her assumptions. The boy let out a mischievous smile and that's all she needed for an answer. "Jack…" Teddy choked out, covering her mouth in pure shock. "Thought I'd bring you here. I know it'll cheer you up." Jack sheepishly informed, glancing at the girl's beaming face. "It definitely did!" She energetically replied. "Let's get in! It's more fun inside!" And Teddy fell asleep and snuggled on the crook of Jack's neck once more.

* * *

Nicholas St. North is humming his favorite Christmas songs and if he's humming, he is in a very good mood. North has been carving the latest model of a girl's toy. He's been pondering about it for nearly a week now. The white-bearded man looked at his work and nodded, satisfaction glimmering in his big blue eyes. He set it down and soon, it started to lift in the air.

North carved a fairy princess out of a block of pure ice. If one looked closely, you could see the fairy's detailed lavish gown to its intricate wings. The fairy princess twirl and dance like a ballerina. Father Christmas chuckled in his own amusement and the ice model still went about with its dancing, going too near at the office's door. North clearly remembered what happened last year, a yeti barging in without knocking that caused the destruction of his flying toy train.

Before he could coax the delicate figure away from the door, a yeti once again barged in, shattering his dancing fairy princess. The ice-carver let out a frustrated sound, something in between a groan or a yelp. The grey yeti let out garbled words that only North could understand. "Jack is here?! In ze Pole?" Before the yeti could answer his boss's question, North pushed him aside and wants to be the first one to greet the youngest Guardian.

All of the Guardians were sometimes gathered in the North Pole. The *Big Four not wanting to stray away from each other, just in case Pitch comes back for his _unlikely successful _revenge. They set out a rule that if one did not come back to the North Pole after three days, they would start searching for the missing Guardian whether they like it or not. And Jack has been missing for two days already.

* * *

The winter spirit would always use _his _window as his entrance but the yetis hardly miss his arrival. They could feel when the prankster is back. The familiar chilly wind would slowly embrace them and feel the odd warmth the boy is emitting whenever he's here. The yetis–even the elves– who do not want to admit it to themselves that they like the presence of the youngest Guardian.

Jack went inside, Teddy sleeping on his back, as they made their way to the Globe Room. The yetis shot the human girl an odd look but continued what they are doing. It's been a year since some of them were in the presence of a human, especially a girl. Jack finally arrived at the main hall where the globe is located. The winter spirit came eye to eye with the Guardian of Wonder, a broad smile on the old man's face.

"Jack my boy! You finally came back in the Pole! Us Guardians were worried sick." Father Christmas informed and the other Guardians agreeably nodded (except for Bunny of course). "Sorry North! Got caught up in Burgess that's all." Jack sheepishly said and shifted his weight. He is proud to say that he didn't break a sweat while carrying Teddy half way to the North Pole.

"Jack! Who is that?" Toothiana, the Guardian of Memories, asked as she fluttered around Jack. The half-hummingbird, half-human looked at the sleeping girl curiously. The winter spirit nudged his friend once again and Teddy stirred. She let out a yawn and Jack carefully let her off his back. "She's not heavy?" North cocked an eyebrow as the girl slowly compose herself. "Nope. She's light as a snowflake." North let out a boisterous laugh at Jack's half-attempted pun.

Bunny's body suddenly went rigid and heavy as lead. The little ankle biter looked exactly like _her. _Except this kiddo has lighter hair. He didn't want to know her name, not wanting his suspicions to be confirmed.

"Hey we're here." The blue-eyed lad whispered to his companion. "Yeah. I could hear voices." She whispered back and chuckled. Teddy yawned once more and rubbed the sleep from her tired emerald orbs. She combed her hair and fixated her gaze on Jack's friends. Her eyes were suddenly wide as saucers.

The Tooth Fairy.

The Sandman.

Santa Clause.

And the Easter Bunny.

All of her childhood heroes were there and looking at her expectantly. "Go introduce yourself." Jack poked her cheek playfully. She shot a half-hearted glare at Jack before looking back again at the hovering Guardians. "Hi! My name is–" "Teddy." The giver of toys continued. "Her name is Teddy." He repeated once more, letting the information sink in in his fellow Guardians' minds. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Easter Bunny choked from his own saliva but the lass completely ignored it. "How did you..." But she couldn't finish her question, too dumfounded to continue.

"I know every child's name that I find unique in the Nice and Naughty list and you are one of them." North explained, winking at the green-eyed gal in the process. Teddy nodded and just breathed in the appearance of all of her heroes. Instead of the jolly old man, North is wearing a red sweater with unknown visible pattern sewn on it and its sleeves were rolled up until his elbows, revealing the words "Naughty" and "Nice" that were tattooed on each of his forearm.

He was wearing black pants, a *red and orange scarf tied around his rotund waist and brown leather boots. She found the man very intimidating but Teddy could also see the caring side of the Cossack behind his big blue eyes.

The girl never expect the Tooth Fairy to be like _this. _She imagined her as a woman who has wings and fancies green clothing but _this_ Tooth Fairy is nothing compared to what she thought the creature would look like. The lady is part human part hummingbird hybrid. Her part hummingbird actually suited her because the Tooth Fairy is one of the busiest after all. The Tooth Fairy has tan skin and mesmerizing lavender eyes that stood out. She's covered with feathers that ranges from yellow to teal.

The hummingbird has golden lines around her wrists and ankles, making it look like bracelets and anklets. There were also gold feathers on either side of her head for earrings. She has long drapery feathers that start at her waist line and ended at her knees. The Tooth Fairy looks likes she's wearing a dress. There is one strip of a yellow feather on her head that also stands out. Her wings are the most unique thing that Teddy laid her eyes upon it. All in all she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Teddy never thought the Easter Bunny as fluffy and adorable but certainly not this one too. _This _Easter Bunny is a 6'1" rabbit with grayish-blue fur and flower-like imprints on his shoulders and forehead. The huge rabbit has bright green eyes like the grass on the first day of spring. He wears leather bracers set with orange stones and a single-strap holster where his puts his boomerangs and eggs and leather wrappings on his feet. The Easter Bunny is handsome in his own way.

The Sandman is a, for a lack of better word, small man. He is wearing a robe made by his own dream sand and has golden hair that is spiked in five points. He has tiny feet and golden brown eyes. He has a quiet and relaxing demeanour and has a very kind and gentle approach. Teddy cannot help but gape at his four childhood heroes.

"How did you know my name?" She continued after taking a long, excruciating pause. North let out a booming laugh and looked kindly at the girl. "You're one of the not-so-greedy children. You just want books or writing materials. Also you did something that always put you in the Nice list but it's a secret between you and me, yeah?" The white-haired man informed and winked mischievously at the girl. A secretive smile came across Teddy's face that left confusion on the other Guardians.

"What did North mean?" Jack asked while staring at his friend, trying to get information from her movements. The girl just shrugged and winked at the bringer of winter. "Oh that reminds me!" North said, his thick Russian accent echoing in the ears of Teddy. "My name is Nicholas St. North but call me North." He introduced and gave the human girl a bear hug. The other Guardians easily picked up as North let go of the rigid girl.

"Hi! I'm Toothiana but you can call me Tooth!" The ever-so bubbly fairy said as she twirled the girl around. "Hi Tooth." The 16-year-old replied and let out a toothy grin. "Oh my gosh! Your teeth! They're are so beautiful! Oh my gosh, you floss! Open up! I wanna see them!" Tooth suddenly gushed and trying to put her fingers in the girl's mouth to see Teddy's pearly white teeth but Jack easily predicted it (thanks to experience), getting a hold of Tooth's shoulder. "Oops, I'm sorry." The hummingbird apologetically smiled and went beside North.

The Sandman waved and was holding a sand-made hat as he bowed. "He's Sandman but call him Sandy." North said and Sandy let out one of his kindest smiles. The Easter Bunny stepped forward and let out his paw. Teddy noticed that he's a bit... jumpy? "Name's E. Aster Bunnymund but call me Bunny, lil ankle biter." He said and the girl shook his paw. "E. Aster Bunnymund huh? And he has an Australian accent. I wonder..." Teddy let out one of her I-know-something-you-don't smiles but Bunny has one plastered on his face as well.

"You know Jack." North pointed and the winter spirit let out one of his famous mischievous smiles. After all of the introductions were made, Teddy simply smiled and made an introduction of her own. "The name's Teddy Ross. Teddy would suffice." She winked and that made them all chuckle. As soon as North bombarded Jack as to why he's missing, Bunny cornered Teddy and they leisurely stroll out of the Globe Room and into the quieter hallways.

"So what's your plan in kidnapping me?" Teddy joked and she earned a chuckle from the Pooka. "Nah Shiela, just wanna talk with you 'is all." Bunny said as they slowly made their way through the maze of hallways of North's workshop. "So what do you want to talk about, Bunny?" She asked, coming across a cool-looking room but they simply avoided it, much to her dismay.

"Nah mate. Call me Aster." The rabbit requested. "But you said–" But she was easily cut off by the Pooka. "That is why we're walking here. To tell you to call me Aster." He implied, putting a paw on the lass's shoulder. "Why not in front of your friends?" The green-eyed girl cutely pouted. "I'll tell ya next time we talk, yes?" And Teddy obediently agreed, her curiosity almost getting ahead of her.

_Meanwhile..._

"So Jack," North drawled in, catching the winter spirit's attention. "Does she knows about us Guardians?" "Nope. But I'm going to tell her soon." The boy shrugged to add to his answer. "Is she the reason why you've been missing for two days?" North asked again, sounding like a interrogator or worse, a father. "Yep. I listen to her stories." The hellion replied, freezing an elf in the process. The Russian brought out an I-know-something-you-don't kind of smile that made Jack cocked an eyebrow.

"Jack, do you have a crush on her?" Tooth asked, a rare mischievous smile on her face. _Women. _"No, no, no. She's just my friend!" Jack protested in disbelief. "Not for long." Tooth trailed off in a sing-song voice. "So North, tell me about her." The winter spirit somewhat ordered, looking at the bulky man expectantly. "No, I can't. You have to ask her yourself." The Cossack said and winked. Before the immortal teen could ask another question, he suddenly called out. "Bunny! Teddy!"

His voice rang all around the workshop and the missing two looked at the direction from where North shouted. "Where are those two?" North muttered as he scratched his chin. "Comin' mate!" Bunny shouted from afar. "You know, Bunny and Teddy in the same sentence is not good. North sounded like a child desperately finding his stuffed toys." The pecan-headed girl joked and both she and the Easter Bunny broke into laughter, not clearly offended. As to why Santa Clause called for them, they didn't want to know.

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

Hello mates!

First of all, I'm very sorry that I didn't update for a week. My father once again unexpectedly announced that we're going on a swimming trip with my aunt and uncle and my cousins (the same ones I visited). Believe me, I'm not that excited because I really hate swimming because like Jack, I'm afraid of drowning. On the first day of trip was very tiring. 5 agonizing hours of travelling from my home to the resort.

I've been tossed like a pancake on the first day because we would constantly get out the car and look at hotels and whatnot and that's not clearly fun. On the night of the first day, we got a suckish hotel! The room is so hot and even though there is an air-conditioner, it's facing the wall and barely making the room chilly. On the second day, we went night swimming and I just wasted my day reading fanfiction and writing this chapter on a notebook because my father didn't allow me to bring my laptop!

On the third day, we went home which means that I need to travel for 5 hours again! When I got home, I feel so sick that I could not get out of bed and was entirely half-asleep. This Monday I can barely look at the screen or a press a letter on the keyboard. I can't even continue writing this chapter and believe me, it's hard to concentrate when you're sick and when I sneeze, I feel like my organs turned inside out. But the fever finally broke down this Tuesday morning and I thankfully finished this chapter today at 11 p.m.

And that's reason why I couldn't update. Now I'll explain to you why I put two asterisks on this chapter. The first asterisk is about the Big Four. Jack wouldn't clearly agree with not wanting to stray away from each other because after all, Jack is a free spirit. The second asterisk is about what is around North's waist. I don't know what it's called but I assumed it looked a scarf wrapped around his belly, not a belt.

You're all clearly wondering why Bunny is suddenly acting strange and why he also wanted Teddy to call him Aster but let's just wait, no? Please bombard me with your reviews! I need it because it **really** motivates me! I need your compliments, criticism or just plain ranting! I'm desperate and I want someone to talk to! Oh EmeraldRhino I'm sorry for not replying to your PM because I'm sick.

"Read and review!" Sandy, the golden man, weaved the words above his head using his own dream sand, a coaxing smile plastered on his face.

Yours truly, Star.


	11. Delicious Pancakes

_"You know, Bunny and Teddy in the same sentence is not good. North sounded like a child desperately finding his stuffed toys." The pecan-headed girl joked and both she and the Easter Bunny broke into laughter, not clearly offended. As to why Santa Clause called for them, they didn't want to know._

* * *

"So why did you bring her here?" North interrogated the newest Guardian. "Ah..." Jack trailed off, not knowing how to answer the question. "Well?" The white-bearded man expectantly said as he crossed his beefy arms on his chest, waiting patiently for Jack's reply. "I thought you know everything about her!" The boy exclaimed, trying to avoid the subject.

"No," North shook his head and subconsciously scratch his chin, "We do not pry in children's personal lives unless they really want us to know." The bearded man informed and all Jack could do is nod. "So it's personal?" North asked, quirking his eyebrow. "Yeah." Was the boy's hushed reply.

They suddenly heard laughter and looked to see Teddy and Bunny getting along. The Pooka noticed the stares and looked away whilst grabbing the girl's shoulders and pushing her to Jack, which the boy easily catch. "Jack, I need to go sleep. I have school tomorrow." She whispered and looked tiredly at the winter spirit. "Do you have extra rooms, North?" The hellion asked, looking expectantly at the man he saw as his father. "Sadly, no. But you could share beds!" North boomed a laugh that could have shaken the entire workshop.

The two glanced at each other and then at North. It finally sinked in in their minds and their eyes were wide as saucers. "What?!" But the Cossack ignored them completely and ordered Phil instead. "Phil!" He shouted and the yeti stood up straight and saluted his boss. "Get the girl pyjamas! And immediately wash her clothes after she changed. Go!" Father Christmas ordered and Phil scampered about, muttering about how to get the girl pyjamas with the perfect fit.

"Let's go to _my _room," Jack blushed slightly, not letting anyone see his embarrassment. He never shared his quarters with a girl before so that is completely new to him (with the exception of his little sister, of course). "Hold on, hold on!" Bunny suddenly exclaimed, catching the attention of the two teens. "Yer letting two ankle biters stay in the same bed?" The rabbit implied, as if proving a point. "What's wrong with zhat?" North quickly retorted. "The two ankle biters is a boy and a girl, you drongo!" Bunny pointed a paw at the bulky man, looking seethed.

"Is Bunny having Daddy issues?" Tooth translated from Sandy who is trying to make an effort to get noticed by the two arguing Guardians. Bunny suddenly paused, looking at the two pacifists. If you look closely, you could see hurt in Bunny's bright emerald orbs. "G'day mates." The rabbit whispered and tapped his foot twice, making a hole in the ground. The three Guardians looked at each other and at the rabbit but Bunny already disappeared as he hopped in his hole and the gap from the floor slowly close.

The two teens glanced at each other and looked confused. They didn't get what Bunny's point is so they shrugged it off. "Come on," Jack grabbed Teddy's good elbow. The girl hesitated and looked at the long-gone hole of Bunny's. Like the rest of the Guardians–except for Jack– she saw the hurt in the rabbit's eyes. The bunny suddenly made her so worried but she'll ask him next time.

The two friends walked quietly in the hallway towards the guest rooms that were, sadly, made for the Guardians only. The pecan-head thought about how gigantic North's workshop is but can't even manage to build another guest room or two.

Teddy and Jack, mostly Teddy, admired the opened rooms. Sometimes pausing to take a look inside. What caught Teddy's interest most is the incredibly large library and the music room. She solemnly promised to herself that if Jack ever bring her back in Santoff Claussen, she would go straight to that two rooms, with North's permission of course.

They paused in front of the a room that looked same like the others and Jack slowly turned the knob and the door swung open. The pecan-head gasped and breathed in the designs of the bedroom. The room's walls and ceiling were painted in light blue and white snowflakes were designed in different sizes and intricate designs. And sometimes snow would slowly fall from the ceiling. "Wow. You have outdone your room." Teddy heartily laughed. Before Jack could answer, a knock was heard from the door. The green-eyed girl, being the nearest from the door, opened it and saw the yeti brought a set of pyjamas.

"Thank you, Phil." Teddy grinned and the brownish-grey yeti smiled back, before closing the door. "Ah, Jack," Teddy looked at the boy who was trying to lean his staff on the empty wall, "Yeah?" The spirit asked, not averting his gaze from his staff. "Can you give me some privacy?" The girl blushed but grinned sheepishly nonetheless. "Oh." Realization hit Jack and he slowly crept outside the window, closing it behind him, not wanting Teddy to get cold. He didn't dare looked back, not wanting to get hit or something.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Teddy suddenly shouted, making Jack barged in. There Teddy was, standing and gaping at her pyjamas. She was barefoot and her earlier clothes were folded neatly and was ready to give to Phil, the yeti. "What's wrong?!" The winter spirit asked, pure concern in his voice. "I'm gonna kill North." She groaned and looked angrily at her pyjamas.

Jack finally realized what she's talking about and suddenly burst out laughing. Nothing is wrong with her pyjamas, in actuality. The set of clothing is cream-colored but the pattern sewn on it is what annoyed her. The pattern sewn on it is a brown bear. A teddy bear to be exact. "That's alright. It's cute anyway." Jack assured in between giggles. There was rapid knocking and Teddy got her clothes from earlier as she opened the wooden door. Jack took it as an opportunity and quickly change into his pyjamas as well.

The pecan-head handed the clothes to Phil and sincerely thanked the yeti. She closed the door and turned around. Teddy covered her mouth to stifle from giggling. "Look at you!" Teddy exclaimed, finally bursting out into laughter. Indeed, Jack is wearing a light blue pyjamas with white snowflake pattern sewn on it. "Fine. We're even then." Jack crossed his arms on his chest and cutely pouted.

The white-haired hellion suddenly turned off the light, making Teddy gasped. "Jack?" She trembled lightly. "Scared of a little dark, Teddy?" The boy chuckled and flew in front of her. "Yeah." Knowing that she is serious, Jack say no more and quietly guided her to their now-shared bed. Jack's bed has a big pillow, big enough for them to share and Teddy knew that the boy doesn't use a blanket even if his life depended on it.

"Jackie?" Teddy whispered, trying to make small talk. But the winter spirit didn't reply. Teddy could hear the evened breathing and soft snores coming from the Guardian. She sighed and slowly faced the boy, whose back is lying on the mattress. The 16-year-old crept near the bringer of winter, enjoying the coolness the boy is emitting. The green-eyed girl closed her eyes and soon Jack's breathing lulled her to sleep.

Unconsciously, she slowly put her arm on the boy's chest and snuggled at his side. Jack, who didn't know that he is doing it, wrapped his arm around the girl and both fell asleep soundly.

* * *

_Cackling pierced her delicate ears. Hell-bent cackling. She tried to cover her ears, desperately trying to block the sound. Soon it was dead silent and she slowly opened her eyes, revealing those shining emerald orbs. Right before her, is herself. Who seemed to be arguing with her mother. The sound suddenly came back, in maximum volume, like someone turned off the mute button._

_"Why?! Why did you pick that man?!" She shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her mother. Her mother sat limply on the chair, looking at her distraught daughter. The woman never answered but looked. Looked at how her precious daughter is trying to bring some sense in her. Her dream-self noticed that she was 11 years old and winced at the number. _

_"Why?!" Her younger self repeated but her mother never answered. To her mother, her questions seemed rhetorical or the woman just turned plain mute. "You always told me how you loved a man named Aster! You always told me that you picked Arthur because it's for the best! Why did you do that?! Aster loved you! I want Aster! I WANT ASTER!" The girl shouted and tears started to form and roll down from her rosy cheeks._

_"I bet Aster can make a great dad! I bet Aster would teach me how to live the fullest! I bet Aster would teach me something cool! I bet Aster would teach me Australian twang! I bet Aster would love me! With all his heart! I would have the greatest father and he would have the daughter that he would never trade for any other little girls! I WANT ASTER!" The lassie's voice turned hoarse and her eyes were puffy and red from crying._

_The door swung open and Arthur stood in the entryway, looking tired. He saw his daughter crying and his wife looking guilty. "Why is Teddy crying?" He whispered and ran to the girl's aid, hugging her and whispering comforting words. "I'm fine, Daddy." She whispered and kissed the man's cheek before going upstairs. Mrs. Tyler closed the front door and attended to her husband._

_"Is this about Aster again?" The man asked, sitting in the dining room but neglected the cold food. "Yes." His loving wife plainly answered. "You know, why did you not choose Aster? Before I proposed to you, you love Aster with all your heart and soul. Why me?" Her concerned husband said as he cupped Mrs. Tyler's cheek. "It's for the best." She would always say and nothing more._

_..._

_The cackling went back and Teddy stood horrified. "Stop laughing!" She shouted, trying to fight the fear. "Oh but I won't." Someone whispered, an English accent filling up in the air. "Why?!" She retorted back, her tone full of acidity. "I won't stop laughing about how idiotic your mother is." And she stood there, feeling sorry for herself that she agreed at what the voice said._

_"You can never have Aster." The voice happily said, as if the voice is glad that she could never have Aster as her father. "I want Aster." She fought back. "No you can't, because your mother didn't pick him anyway." But before she could answer, the voice was gone and the cackling went back. "I want Aster!" She shouted once more before darkness consumed her. _

* * *

"Wha?" She blinked, still half-asleep. There stood in front of her is four worried Guardians. _Great. Now the Guardians are caught up with my problems in sleeping._ "Um, what's happening?" Teddy confusingly asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She didn't know the time but she guessed that it's still night, considering the moonlight coming from outside the window.

"You were having a nightmare, again." Jack worriedly implied. Teddy stared at the teen, clearly amused at his bed hair. "Why are they here? Not to be rude or anything." She defended, not wanting to be offend the Guardians. "I called North when you started shouting "I want Aster." I didn't know who Aster is at first so I asked North. He said that it was Bunny since Bunny's full name is E. Aster Bunnymund. North panicked and decided to call Bunny. Sandy is here as well. After we _comfort_ you, he's going to give you a good dream." The boy thoroughly explained.

She looked at Bunny and the Pooka's staring at her, evident concern in his smouldering green eyes. "Okay." Teddy breathed out. "Can I go outside? With Bunny?" She asked for permission and the other three nodded. Bunny put a paw on Teddy's shoulder as they carefully went outside of Jack's bedroom. "What do you want with me, Sheila?" Bunny quietly said as they explored the hallways together once more.

"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it. It's a really bad dream but I'm glad that you're here now, Aster." She let out a small smile and they further went in the hallways. "You're not going to disappear, right?" That made Bunny stopped in his tracks. In all honesty, when he let her call him _Aster, _there seemed to be a bond that formed within them. A unknown, weird bond but comforting at the same time. "I'm not going to disappear." He fondly whispered. "Let's go back to Frostbite's room. They must have worried sick. C'mon!" And they went back to where they came from.

They opened the door to see the rest looking worriedly at the girl but Teddy managed to brought out a smile that made the Guardians sighed in relief. Jack grabbed her by her good arm and brought her into a hug that brought smiles on the other Guardians. "Are you okay now?" The boy whispered. "Never better." And what she replied is true, thanks to Bunny of course. Jack saw the truth in her eyes and smiled. He can distinguish whenever she's lying or not and today, she's not.

The two teens lay off to bed and both sleepily smiled. Sandy grinned and slowly blow dream sand on their heads. "Won't you stay?" The girl childishly asked, the question directed to Bunny. "Sure Teddy. See you in the morning." The Pooka smiled, deciding to stay in his own room for the night, not wanting to disappoint the ankle biter who he is now fond of. Soon, their eyes droopily closed and fell into a good night sleep. North turned off the light and Bunny rubbed his nose on Teddy's temple which the girl sleepily smiled upon. The three Guardians went outside, leaving their two _babies _in dream land.

* * *

_The next morning..._

The girl sighed in relief. It was the best sleep she ever had in years.

Teddy yawned and rose from the bed. She noticed that Jack was nowhere to be found but her yesterday's clothes, now newly washed, were placed on the edge of the bed. The girl tiredly changed into her clothes and slipped on her shoes. Teddy neatly folded the pyjamas and placed it beside Jack's. The green-eyed girl never minded combing her bed hair as she went outside the room.

She asked the yeti for directions to the dining room but the furry creature just garbled the words. She stumbled upon a elf, much smarter than the others, and happily brought her to the designated room. She found North inhaling his morning cookies while Bunny's munching his carrots. Teddy perked up when she saw Bunny and bid them a good morning. Soon, the other two were laughing their heads off about her bed hair but she completely ignored the two adults.

"I told you before, don't forget to comb your hair." Jack said like a father but chuckled nonetheless. The boy grabbed a silver comb and carefully brush the girl's messy pecan mane. The outcome was still the same perfect one. Silky and entangled with frost. Teddy sat down and looked at her breakfast. _How did North know that she loves pancakes in the morning? _

Like a proper lady, she cut the pancakes in pieces and took a bite. It was very delicious. "This is delicious." She mumbled and happily took another bite. North heard her comment and laughed boisterously. "Of course! Yetis are best cooks!" The Cossack boasted his co-workers with broken English. The girl contentedly smiled and glanced at Jack. She could feel that the hellion is staring at her. He isn't eating anything and was just grinning at her.

"You know, you'll never get full if you keep staring." The 16-year-old remarked. "Who? Me? I don't usually eat." But before he could continue what he was saying, the fork was chuck in his mouth and Teddy smiled evilly. Jack slowly chewed a piece of pancake and his beautiful blue eyes sparkled in excitement. Of course, Teddy knew that he would like her breakfast so she spoon fed Jack, or in this case, fork fed. She would give Jack small bites of pancake and Teddy would snuck a few bites as well. Soon the plate is empty and Teddy is gulping her pulpy orange juice.

North saw the transition in the dining room while Bunny rolled his eyes but had a small smile plastered on his face. "You never tried eating pancake before?" The teen asked and the boy hesitantly nodded. "Yeah." The prankster sheepishly answered in addition to his previous reply. Teddy looked at her glass of orange juice and Bunny saw the mischievous glint in her green eyes. "Take a sip." She ordered while trying to hand the boy the glass. Jack's eyes widen and looked at the glass hesitantly. The orange liquid seemed delicious and clearly _taunting _him.

"Control your frost." Teddy warned and handed him the glass. No frost came from his touch as he took a hesitant sip and the same sparkle appeared in his eyes again. Soon, they were exchanging the glass as they took sips of orange juice. Apparently, the glass is now empty and the two teenagers were full. "I need to go home. I have school today." Teddy urgently said to them. The four made their way to the Globe Room and the Cossack brought out a peculiar snow globe. He handed it to Teddy and the girl only looked at it confusingly.

"What do I do with it?" She asked, looking expectantly at the bearded man. North laughed again and placed a bulky hand on the girl's head, disheveling her perfectly combed hair. Jack scowled when North ruined his handiwork. "Whisper where you want to go and throw it." She did what she was said to do. "Burgess." Teddy whispered and threw it off. Soon, a magic portal erupted from the glass and she gasped. "Neat. Pretty neat." The green-eyed girl grinned and winked at Father Christmas who winked back at her.

It was time to say good bye. She first hugged the Russian. "Can I go back?" She whispered on the man's ear. "Of course you can! You are always welcome." And that brought a contented smile on Teddy's face. "Can you say my gratitude to Sandy? For the good dream last night. " North smiled and only nodded. Then she hugged Bunny. "Thank you for never leaving." The lass happily whispered. "I would never leave ya." Bunny smiled and ruffled the girl's hair to add to North's doings which brought another scowl on Jack's face. "You promise?" She whispered again, much like a child. "I promise. Now off you go. Don't wanna be late for school." Aster winked at her and waved his paw good bye.

What Bunny promised and said brought a wide smile on her face. He sounded like a father, _her father,_ and that made her extremely happy. Teddy giddily grabbed Jack's hand and they went inside the portal, giving one last glance and wave at the two Guardians.

"You would never leave her?" North asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Never, mate."

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

I shall now make it as a headcanon.

_Jack never tried pancakes and orange juice before and hardly tried everything. Only a few cookies and tasted Bunny's carrots out of curiosity but not any other meals. If he ever tried something, he would soon get addicted to it and request the yetis to make it as soon as he arrive in Santoff Claussen. But his addiction wears off and would find another selection of food for something new to get addicted with. _

Another headcanon: _Bunny never breaks his promises and if he ever did, without his conscience or not, he would make up for it no matter what cause him._

...

Hello mates! This was supposed to be uploaded yesterday but I needed to read again and edit it. Hope you like it!

I made a tumblr dedicated to RotG. You can follow me and please message me, saying that you're from Fanfiction. jacks-teddy is my url and headcanons, tidbits of the story or just plain rants of mine will be posted there!

As to why they didn't get Bunny's point it's because our Jack and Teddy are innocent children. Yes, they may know a thing or two but they have the heart of a child. Their minds are pure, so to speak. No, I'm not rushing their romance but the bedroom assignments is a subtle hint, fluff in our term, but never in full blast romance.

EmeraldRhino: Here's the answer to your review, wink wink, nudge nudge.

Really guys, you need to review because I really need your thoughts. I want to know if I'm good author or not. Yes, I'm a desperate crazy woman. Ciao!

"Read and review." Teddy's voice echoed as her melodic laughter fill the air.

Yours truly, Star.


	12. Best Day Ever

_"You would never leave her?" North asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Never, mate."_

* * *

They easily arrived in Burgess, feeling woozy and staggering. Teddy seemed to be in verge of vomiting while Jack looks like he was about to faint. Jack knew that North's snow globes or Bunny's tunnels would beat his flying. They both lean on each other a while (in Jack's case, he's leaning on his staff) and try to compose themselves.

Teddy blinked a couple of times, trying to stop her spinning vision. It's her first time going to a magic portal so basically, the outcome would be rough. The girl knew that she can handle dangerous roller coasters, or any other carnival rides but this. _This_ is a whole new level.

"I don't care if for once, I'm going to be late for school. I just don't want to vomit there if needed." She spoke, shaking her head to stop the spinning. Five minutes later, they could now stand up straight and walk like a normal person. They easily noticed that they're in Jamie's neighbourhood which means Teddy's house is near, to their relief.

Teddy looked mischievously and suddenly sprinted, leaving the boy dumbfounded. He easily picks up and took the challenge, playing fair and square. Which means he didn't use his staff to do any form of cheating. In her amazement, Jack can run as fast as his flying. He easily caught up with Teddy but the girl added more speed. Of course, Jack would never back out in a challenge.

They effortlessly arrived in front of Teddy's house, having a tie in the race. They both puff shaking breaths and smiled at one another. "You're fast." Jack complimented while catching his breath. "You too." She grinned and sighed heavily. "Maybe next time, we can have a winner." Jack winked and smirked mischievously.

They entered the girl's abode and thankfully, Arthur already left the house. Teddy looked at the clock and sighed in utter relief. It's only 7'o clock and school starts at eight. "Come on," She said, coaxing Jack to come upstairs. "Good thing I finished my homework before you scooped me out of my house." Teddy chuckled slightly. They swung the door open, no doorknob to hold on and thank God, her bedroom is still in one piece.

No one touched her stuff and she let out another sigh of relief. Teddy brought out her maroon leather satchel and started putting her notebooks and school books. Not having enough space in her bag, she was bound to carry her Romeo and Juliet script and her thick World History book. The girl hastily grabbed a white wrist watch. She hated not knowing what time is it, especially when she's in a hurry.

Teddy closed her bedroom door behind her, Jack following suite. She went inside her parents' room and the winter spirit peeked curiously. He never saw the insides of her parents' bedroom. In his shock, everything was a mess.

The curtains fell off its rack. The bed is unmade and there are broken glasses everywhere. The bedside lamp is blinking on and off and there were empty bottles scattered all around the floor. Fortunately the closets and drawers were unharmed and unscathed.

The pecan-head carefully made her way through the shards of broken bottles and went in front of the drawers. She stopped in front of a set of drawers, the one located on the right farthest corner of the cabinet. She pulled the second to the last drawer and Jack gaped at the contents. There was money. A lot of money. It was messily put in that drawer.

The girl got 100 dollars for what seemed to be her weekly allowance. She put the money in her wallet for safekeeping. Teddy locked the drawer and pocketed the tiny gold key. She came back to the door and turned off the lights and unplugged the broken lamps, not wanting for it to cause fire and possibly bring down her only home.

"Lunch money." Teddy mumbled, averting her gaze from Jack. They went down the stairs, Jack being unusually quiet. They went outside the cold front porch and Teddy fumbled with her set of keys, trying to lock the front door. Moments later, she stood by Jack's side and reassuringly smiled. "Are you okay? You seemed quiet." Teddy mumbled, eyeing the drained winter spirit. "I'm fine." The boy muttered but still looked downcast. "Are you sure? I have time to listen." The girl looked doubtful about her friend's emotional well being.

"I'm okay. We'll talk about it next time but now, you need to go to school or Bunny's gonna do bloody murder on me." The hellion brought out his usual mischievous smirk and Teddy can't help but smile back.

The green-eyed girl brought out her sky-blue-colored bike and put her stuff in the basket screwed in the front of the bicycle. "Care for a ride?" She asked in a joking manner but still said it as an offer. Jack curiously peeked at the bike and cocked an eyebrow. _Why not? _He reluctantly sat on the "passenger seat" as Teddy grabbed the handlebars and placed her feet on the pedals.

Soon, the winter spirit is enjoying his first time riding a bike or rather, being a passenger. It was nothing like North's sleigh. Literally and figuratively. Jack felt the urgency that they need to go to the Tooth Palace as quickly as possible and the harsh wind mercilessly slapping him while sitting all through out North's sleigh ride. But his bike ride with Teddy felt nothing like that. Jack felt at ease, the soft wind caressing his cheeks. He also felt the constant calmness Teddy is reverberating.

But before the wind and the calmness lulled him into a sleep, he got off of the bike and flew, leveling his friend's bike's speed. "Can't sit still?" The girl lightly teased and a smirk easily fell upon Jack's face. Finally, a tall yet broad building came into view. It was made of brown bricks and white windows. There was a flagpole standing in the middle of the school grounds, all high and mighty but Jack couldn't care less. Teddy hit the break and sadly smiled at Jack, as if saying their last goodbyes.

"Hey, I'll be back before you notice." She reassured the boy and smiled confidently. "I'm going to be fine, don't worry." He smiled one of his own. Teddy was about to say something but was cut abruptly by the school bell ringing. "Oops. That's the first bell. Look, after you're done with your spreading-snow-around-the-world job, you're welcome in my room and lounge there for a while." The girl offered, making the winter spirit grinned widely. "I can?" He asked eagerly, sounding like a hyperactive 5-year-old kid. "Of course but promise me to return everything in its original place after you use it, okay? Now, I'm gonna be late so see you later."

Teddy bit adieu and got off from her bike. She was about to go inside the big main gate of the school before looking reluctantly at the immortal teen. He was still there, gripping his staff while standing, a smile still adorned his handsome face. The pecan-head leaned her bicycle on the white wall and unexpectedly tugged the boy in a bone-crushing hug.

Jack was completely taken by surprise but return the hug, regardlessly. Some of the passerby confusingly looked at her, wondering why the girl is hugging the air but they easily let it go, knowing that maybe she's only doing some crazy teenage stuff. The green-eyed girl broke the hug, not because of the stares she got, but because she has something to say to the white-haired hellion.

"After this week, I'll be all yours." Teddy whispered, a small smile contorting her face. She quickly realized what she had said and turned beet red, so red that she could possibly explode. "I can wait that long. See you later Teddy." Jack propelled into the sky and waved goodbye before leaving to make snow days and blizzards. She shook off from her rigidness and breathed out a profound sigh.

_"I'll be all yours." is not a good thing to say to your only boy space friend. I'm such an idiot. _She shook her head furiously and inside the main gate, into Burgess High, desperately wanted the school days to be over already.

* * *

Jack Frost is clearly nipping everyone's noses today as he delivers snow days into the world. The boy is enjoying his day, not knowing the reason why. He finally finished bringing New York City their most-awaited snow and decided to go back to Burgess. The Guardian of Fun is excited to explore Teddy's bedroom. His friend's room is full of mysteries. He wants to check every nook and cranny and unravel the great mysteries that lie in the girl's bookshelf and desk.

The winter spirit shortly arrived in his hometown and headed to Jamie's neighbourhood. The flying boy easily noticed the roof of Teddy's house and felt giddiness bursting inside his body. The prankster increased speed and easily propelled in his friend's bedroom via window.

Jack gracefully land in the room and breathed in the smell of vanilla. Teddy might have accidentally spilled her vanilla-flavored perfume on the carpet. He placed his staff on the corner of the wall, knowing that he won't need it for the time being. Jack nimbly walked in front of the bookshelf and started stacking the books that caught his attention on his left arm. Jack made his way to her desk and comfortably sat down on the wheeled chair.

The blue-eyed lad grabbed the book stacked on the top, the book he already read a few years ago. _The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. _He cracked it open and leaned on his chair, reading the introduction of Bilbo Baggins about the hobbits.

* * *

She sighed in relief as her house came into view. Teddy hit the break and entered her lawn, parking the bicycle inside the garage. The girl climbed the steps and shoved her hand in her jeans' pocket, trying to find the keys. She easily touched the cold metallic object and brought it out. The pecan-head put the right key in the doorknob and turned. She heard the successful _click _of the door and it swung open.

Teddy made two sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly scraped on the loaf of bread. She placed it in a plate and grabs two glasses, filling it with mango juice. The girl put the snacks on a tray and went upstairs. The teenage girl leaned on the wood and pushed the door open with her weight.

What came to her view is an adorable sight to see. His crossed arms cushioned Jack's head as his upper body lied on her desk. The winter spirit is sleeping soundly. Teddy fondly smiled and placed the tray on the bedside table. She then made her way to Jack's sleeping figure, pondering on how will she move his friend.

She carefully assisted Jack's upper body and leaned it on the chair. Teddy sighed in relief when the white-headed boy didn't stir. Then the girl carefully pushed the chair farther from the desk. She placed her arm under Jack's knees and put her broken arm on the winter spirit's back, carrying him bridal-style. Of course, Teddy would not tell him that because the boy will surely kill her first before dying of embarrassment. Teddy silently chuckled at the thought as he carefully placed the lad on her bed.

She unlatched herself from Jack's grip and covered his body with her blanket. The blanket only covered half of the immortal teen's body so that when he's feeling hot, he could easily kick the blanket off. Teddy then decided to clean the mess Jack fell asleep upon.

The storyteller noticed that Jack fell asleep on one of her favorite books, _The Book Thief. _She giggled about the time she first read it. Teddy could feel the intensity of the war and the girl's want to get her hands on the books. She enjoyed how Zusak managed to write the book in Death's point of view.

The girl put a blue bookmark designed with snowflakes on the page where the boy stopped reading. She bought the bookmark a long time ago before she even met Jack. Teddy really love the season of winter and how intricate snowflakes fell from the sky, especially those that are made by Jack Frost's creativity.

The teenager closed several opened books. She is amazed how Jack quickly finished _The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Moby Dick, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher and the Rye _and a lot of other classic novels and books. Teddy stacked them all back to their home. Teddy have to admit that she's clearly impressed that there aren't any frost covering her books or the contents of the desk. She noticed that the hellion got ahold of her journals as well where she writes various stories but to her bemusement, Jack never touched her personal ones. The green-eyed girl closed the journals and put it back in her table drawers.

Teddy put the loose papers of written stories in a neat pile. The storyteller easily differentiated some of the papers that were not hers. It was Jack's. The boy had a beautiful and intricate handwriting. She would read his stories later and put it in a different pile. When there are no more papers scattered on the surface of her desk, Teddy suddenly flinched. The Guardians stumbled upon her sketchbook. Her _Pitch Black Reality _as she calls it.

Teddy felt disgusted of herself, knowing that Jack saw her dark artworks. She meant to burn it two years ago but someone's whispering to her to don't do it and she gave in. The distraught girl put the sketchbook inside the last drawer and composed herself.

The lass sat on the desk chair and placed her bag on the ground near her side. She brought out her Math, Chemistry and History homework. A bad mix of homework, for sure. Soon, she was engrossed on her homework while taking a bite of her own sandwich.

Jack let out a relieved sigh. That's the best he had in years. All those years he would sleep on an uncomfortable tree branch or bury himself in snow banks but now, he felt something soft pressing against his back and a hot sensation coming from his hinds. He immediately sat up and noticed that he was lying on a bed and a blanket covered his lower half.

Teddy's back was facing him and he could hear her furious scribbling. Her pecan colored hair is in a busy bun and she's wearing a white tank top underneath a red sweatshirt. Teddy turned around, glasses pressed on her nose, smiling tiredly at him. "Morning Sleeping Beauty." The girl teased, putting aside her pen and closing the book. Jack let out a yawn and grinned sleepily. "Mornin'. What time is it?" He asked while stretching his limbs, hearing a few satisfying cracks afterwards. "5:30 p.m. Jackie." She answered, standing up and stretched her arms as well. "Oh. I've been sleeping for an hour and a half." He dazedly implied.

"I'll be cooking dinner soon so might as well eat your PB&J now." Teddy informed, making her way to the broken door. "PB what?" The winter spirit exclaimed, looking confused. "Your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, dummy." She happily informed and looked expectantly at the boy as he poked the sandwich sitting on the bedside table. Jack grabbed the snack and took a bite, the same sparkle came back on his eyes again like when he ate pancakes and drank orange juice.

"I'll be downstairs Jack, cooking dinner." But the winter spirit completely ignored her, focused on enjoying his first PB&J sandwich. Teddy amusingly shook her head and went downstairs, deciding to cook pasta for dinner.

Jack basically inhaled the sandwich and now savouring the mango-flavored juice. He was now checking Teddy's homework and merrily putting some of his own answers on a blank sheet of paper. The green-eyed girl peeked inside her own room to see her spirit friend answering her homework. She would have to thank him for that later.

"Come on Snowy. Dinner's almost ready." Teddy called out, making Jack jumped in surprise. "Don't sneak up on me like that! And _Snowy, _that's new. I'll call you _Boobear _from now on." Jack deviously smirked, making both Teddy's eyebrows shot up but mischievously smiled. "That's for payback, remember? And _Boobear_'sfine with me as long as I could call you _Snowy. _Sounds fair to you?" And Jack nodded, shaking her hand as a deal.

He finally remembered why she did payback by sneaking up on him.

_"Hey." The white-haired hellion spoke up, making the girl let out a surprised yelp. __"Jack don't scare me like that or I'll get a heart attack!" She complained, almost dropping the broom she was gripping at._

Jack grabbed the empty tray, closed her bedroom door behind him and followed Teddy downstairs. Finally he had the time to admire the pictures hanging on the wall. There was a stolen picture of Teddy inspecting a colorful Easter egg that is no doubt Bunny's handiwork. There was one where Teddy was pouting while her arms were crossed on her chest, glaring angrily at the teddy bear beside her. Jack amusingly laughed at that.

The winter spirit looked at the picture where Teddy kicked the winning goal for her soccer team. _Tyler, 12 _was printed in uppercase bold letters at the back of her jersey shirt. The last picture he saw was her family, smiling brightly at the camera. Jack made a mental note to ask Teddy about her mother later. After all, when the immortal teen looked closely at the picture, Teddy was the spitting image of her mother, except that Teddy has lighter hair while her mother's is chocolate-brown.

He made his way inside the kitchen and sat on the countertop. The hellion placed the tray in the sink. "I never thought that you wore glasses before." He suddenly spoke out loud but to his dismay, he didn't spook Teddy this time. "Nope. They're just reading glasses." She turned around and carefully put the red sauce on the steaming noodles. Teddy put the sauce pan in the sink and sighed tiredly.

"Dinner is served." She grinned and brought the two plates in the dining room. Jack got two forks and followed Teddy suite. They sat opposite of each other, waiting for the pasta to cool down a bit. The winter spirit mixed his pasta and twirled the noodles around the fork. He was about to put the noodles on his mouth, not caring if it's gonna burn his tongue for sure when Teddy suddenly burst out laughing.

He was stopped from eating the delicious-looking pasta and stared confusingly at his giggling friend. "What are you laughing at?" He asked, looking annoyed. "No–Hahahahaha–Nothing." She tried to say in between her laughter. Jack waited for his friend to compose herself. Her laughter died down and was now merely chuckles. Teddy finally stopped and inhaled heavily, engulfing much needed air.

"It's just that..." She paused, bursting out into fits of laughter again. He opened his mouth to make her stop when suddenly there's a flash, making her temporarily blind. He blinked a few times and cleared his visions but there is still black spots appearing. The winter spirit shook his head violently and looked at Teddy who was holding a picture that came from a Polaroid camera. Where she got the camera, he didn't want to know.

Jack stood up from his and snatched the picture from his friend's grasp. The girl suddenly gasped and glared at Jack while the winter-loving boy sent a triumphant smile towards her. He looked at the pictures and his blue eyes went wide. There he was, gaping at the camera and specks of yellow were on his lips and tongue. It must have been from the mango juice.

"Don't throw it." Teddy sincerely pleaded and Jack looked reluctantly at the picture. If Bunny saw this, he would never let it live down. He sighed and handed the picture back to Teddy and the girl easily perked up. She placed the picture and the camera on the table and they started to eat. They chatted for a while and the pecan-head suddenly snap another picture wherein Jack's lips and chin were sloppily covered with red sauce. After a few seconds of glaring at Teddy, he burst out laughing and it was so contagious that Teddy laughed as well.

After they ate dinner, Jack helped Teddy in cleaning the dishes that ended in a bubble soap fight. Whisking droplets of water and soap here and there, they were both wet. Jack had foam perched on his nose while there's water dripping from Teddy's head. After drying the dishes and themselves as well, Teddy turned off the lights downstairs and they both went up to her bedroom.

The Guardian of Fun lied down on Teddy's bed while she focused on finishing her homework. A frustrated groan went out of the pecan-head's mouth. "What's the problem, Boobear?" The white-haired prankster sat up and looked at his friend. "Snowy, help me!" And the lad floated down beside Teddy and curiously peeked at her History homework. "That's pretty easy." He pointed out and chuckled. Teddy pouted and half-attempted to glare at Jack before focusing her gaze on her opened book. "Easy for you to say." She retorted and the boy let out a hearty laugh.

Jokul Frosti grabbed his piece of paper earlier and showed it to Teddy. After a while of discussing the answer, it soon turned into a heated debate. But Teddy finally gave up and accepted Jack's answer. She wrote down the answers and closed her book and notebook, letting out a sigh of pure relief.

She lied down with Jack on her bed for a while before staring another debate about stereotypes. Where Teddy got that topic, she didn't know. The two have to admit, they had their best day ever. "I gotta go." Jack mumbled, sitting up. "I guess this is good night." She smiled sadly, sitting up as well. The winter spirit grabbed his plain staff and frost easily curled up on the wood. The boy walked and jumped on the windowsill.

He looked back at his friend and let out a small smile curl up on his face. "See you tomorrow." The Guardian whispered. "Yep. I will still be here." Teddy reassured and waved goodbye at the immortal teen. Before taking off, Jack gave Teddy a hug, the same one she gave this morning. "Stay safe and don't provoke your father again this time. I don't want to see you have another broken arm again." And with that, Jack flew off into the night.

He should not have left Teddy that early. Jack should have stay for a little longer, making sure that Arthur didn't hurt his daughter and quickly retire to bed but the winter spirit didn't. He easily regretted it when he saw Teddy with a bandaged hand the next morning. "What happened?" But the question was left hanging in the air.

* * *

Dear reader, whether anonymous or not,

Clarifying you all that there isn't any dirty meaning behind _"I'll be all yours." _that was said by Teddy. She only meant is her undivided attention and time will be Jack's next week which the start of their winter break. I found Teddy quite funny at that part though. I did another long chapter but no, this isn't a filler chapter. This is a full-of-fluff chapter. Yes, I want for all of you to see the progress in Teddy and Jack's friendships and some subtle hints of possible romance, wink wink, nudge nudge.

Okay I chose a Polaroid instead of a digital because I don't want overwhelm Jack with high-tech gadgets but that would be fun to write (possible one-shot in the future) This chapter will be proofread in the morning because I'm super tired.

Headcanon time!

_1. Even though Jack is outgoing and all fun and games, he sometimes want peace and quiet and to achieve, he would get a book. It was in late 1800's when Jack started to get engaged in reading. He would peek into the books of the people sitting in the library, or in restaurants. The first book Jack ever read is Oliver Twist by Charles Dicken. Soon, he got so curious to what's going to happen next and so eager to read, he would borrow books from libraries but returned them eventually. _

_Jack's favorite book at that time was The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. But doing his job as a winter spirit became a hindrance to his reading so he rarely does it any more. The boy's favorite genre is mystery, adventure and sometimes supernatural but he also reads a few romance here and there. __After he became a Guardian and defeated Pitch, he started reading again, in the huge library of Santoff Claussen. North often caught him falling asleep on the book he's reading because of exhaustion. All in all, Jack enjoyed and loved reading. _

_2. Jack was never a fan of gadgets but he loves trying it for the first time, simply using it, or sometimes dismantling it. His favorite gadgets is a camera and a mp3 player. _

_3. Jack is a curious child. As mention above, he really loves dismantling objects. The first thing he dismantled is a pocket watch and easily putting it back to one piece. Jack loves to inspect the parts of an object so it became a habit of him for dismantling things. When he became a Guardian, North would always scold him for dismantling a lot of toys but Jack would smile innocently and easily got away with it. North found about the boy's little hobby so he would give a complicated object, a gadget perhaps, to the boy and let Jack distract himself for a while._

Enough with this headcanons, I might make Jack an OC if I didn't stop. There will be headcanons in the future and these will be posted on my tumblr, jacks-teddy. Follow me!

Read, enjoy the chapter, laugh at the crazy antiques of Star, review and wait expectantly for the next chapter.

"Read and review." The Man in Moon whispered, beaming rays of pale moonlight above your head.

Yours truly, Star.


	13. His Bedtime Story

_Heads up: The bedtime story Jack is about to tell is the trigger to everything that's going to happen in the future._

* * *

Jack was soaring high up in the air, observing the houses and buildings of Burgess. He didn't want to relive the events that happened yesterday. He sighed heavily, shaking off the memories but it came back anyway.

_"What happened?" But his question was left hanging in the air. Teddy, much to her dismay, walked to school today. She can't really hold the handlebars with an injured hand._

_"What. Freaking. Happened?" Jack emphasized every word and gritted his pearly white teeth in frustration. Ever since he laid his eyes upon Teddy's injury, he started blaming himself. "It got burned, okay!" She shouted in annoyance and quickly clamped her mouth. A lot of passerby were staring at her and the duo continued walking._

_"How? You were perfectly fine when you cooked the pasta yesterday." The winter spirit asked, looking expectantly at his friend. They stopped in front of a park. The same one where they met a week ago. Teddy entered, Jack following suite._

_They sat on the rusty metal bench, the cold prickling Teddy's already-covered skin. She was wearing a tucked-in white-crisp polo shirt and its sleeves were rolled up until her elbows partnered with denim jeans and comfortable black loafers. An emerald-green silk scarf was wrapped comfortably around her neck that matches her smouldering forest green eyes. _

_The pecan-head unwrapped the bandages around her hand and the winter spirit gaped at the girl's burns. There were a lot of brownish blisters. Probably, a second-degree burn. Jack felt the dizziness just by looking at her injury. He hesitantly brought up his hand and carefully placed it on top of hers. Jack unlatched his grip from his staff and let it lean on the bench._

_The white-haired boy pressed the palm of his hand on hers and Teddy silently hummed. "This is much better than the cooling ointment." The lad took it as a compliment. She closed her eyes, enjoying the coldness emitting by Jack's both hands._

_"Now tell me what happened." He ordered and her ever green eyes shot open. She stared at her spirit friend momentarily and sighed heavily. There is no going anywhere with this guy. "Arthur came home, moments after you left." Teddy never bothered to call him her father anymore. There was a pregnant pause and Jack slight nudged her encouragingly._

_"He demanded for dinner and I completely forgot to make him some. Arthur grabbed me by my healing arm and trudged in the kitchen." She sighed, taking a pause again. The Guardian waited expectantly for her continuation of the story. "He... Uh, grabbed my left hand and opened the stove. My eyes went wide at first but I know what he's about to do. I squirmed from his hold but he has a death grip." Teddy stopped, not knowing if she would continue or not._

_"You know what happened. He shove my hand in the fire and it hurt so much! Like I was thrown into hell. And then I was thrown on the floor. I ran up the stairs and locked myself in the bathroom. I cleaned my wound and applied first-aid. After a while, I waited for him to go to sleep and when he locked his bedroom door, I transferred to mine and pushed my cabinet, pressing it on the door since the lock is broken. After that, he didn't bother me." Jack let out the breath he didn't know that he was holding as she finished her story._

_"I'm sorry. I should have been there. I should have been there to protect you. It's my job, for crying out loud!" He exclaimed and run his fingers through his snowy white hair. Teddy looked quite disappointed when he released his grasp from her burnt hand. "Your job?" She suddenly asked, cocking an eyebrow. "I'll explain it to you tomorrow but now, I'm so sorry." The boy sincerely apologized, returning his hand on top of Teddy's hand, much to her enjoyment. "Don't be. I've be in worse." Oops._

_She shouldn't have said that because it ended the other way around. Instead of Jack reassuring and comforting her, it was Teddy who is doing the job. And with that she was late for school._

The winter spirit did a little wave of his staff and snow begins to fall. It was around noon in Burgess when he started bringing the fluffy, wintry substance. He easily covered the town in a white, thick blanket of snow. Jack perched in a tree and admired his work. The immortal teen heard a faint ringing of bell from afar. He turned around and landed his gaze on Burgess High. Jack smiled, wanting for this day to end so he could hang out with Teddy, heal her hand and maybe give her a bedtime story this time.

* * *

Teddy is happily humming as she made her way to Burgess Elementary. She constantly visits there and that the guard easily recognized her face, give her a visitor's pass and let her in. The girl headed to the playground and saw two seniors who seemed to be bullying her friends. "Hey! How did you two get in here?!" She shouted accusingly and the taller senior's head whipped around to face her. She approached them with great ease, stepping in front of the cowering children.

"Did you think I would tell you that easily?" He annoyingly replied and smugly smirked. "Yes you should because you are in fact trespassing." The girl brought out out her own smug look. "You wouldn't dare!" The taller one menacingly glared at her. "Oh but I would. Why are you bullying these elementary students?" Teddy frustratingly asked, levelling the intensity of the glare. "We're tired of those little freshmen so we ended up here." The fat one snickered.

"What were you saying to the kids?" Teddy asked again, interrogating the two seniors. "We heard them talking about Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. They were so excited for your stories, _Autumn._" The fat one bluntly implied. "What did you do to them, _Darius _and _Kyle_?" She finally recognized them.

They were the infamous duo who kept terrorizing everyone in Burgess High. Darius and Kyle (the tall senior and his accomplice, the fat one, respectively) were always in detention, sometimes getting suspended and almost got expelled. They did numerous school crimes that should be left unmentioned.

"Oh that. We told them to stop believing in those pathetic fairytales and in your stories!" Darius evilly grinned. "They shouldn't believe in a fat man who wears nothing but red! A fluffy bunny that produce eggs and a woman who steals your teeth in the night!" Kyle added, constantly snickering. "Did you know that your parents were the ones leaving you gifts on Christmas Eve? They're the one who paint the eggs and hide them! And they are the ones who crept inside your room to get your tooth and stick a quarter under your pillow." Darius directly said to the children. The two sure can hit Teddy's nerve.

"They're real! I believe in them! Even in Jack Frost!" A girly voice declared and the 16-year-old turned around to see a brown-haired girl named Pippa, glared at the two bullies. The others nodded in agreement. "See? They believe and you can't stop them." Teddy coolly said, smiling smugly at Darius and Kyle. Of course, the two won't back out in a fight with a.. a girl, let alone a junior!

"Jack Frost? Ha! They believe in a grumpy, old man who brought nothing but cold and death in the world! Th–" Before Darius could finish his retort, Teddy, fury boiling inside of her, punched the senior hard on the face. A large crack sound was heard by everybody. The tall senior fell on his butt. The children watched in shock when their storyteller smacked the senior. Kyle backed away, clearly scared at the infuriated girl.

Darius touched his broken and bleeding nose and once he recovered, he stood up and grabbed Teddy's collar. "You're not going to hit her, are you?" Kyle hesitantly asked his master and looked worriedly at the girl. "Quiet Kyle!" He shouted back and stared menacingly at the junior once more but Teddy wasn't afraid. She experienced getting hit many times already. "Kyle, get me that sharp rock!" Darius barked angrily. The fat one hesitantly crouched down and picked up the rock. The children stared in horror but no one was brave to tackle the fat senior. "Kyle!" Darius hollered, making Kyle scampered and handed the rock to his master.

"Sorry." Kyle mouthed and Teddy smiled forgivably at him. She knew that he was just following Darius around, like an ownerless puppy. The tall one mercilessly placed the sharp edge on her forehead. Blood trickled from her forepart and she hissed in pain. "You'll pay for my broken nose." He snarled but Teddy just grinned. "But I'm already paying." She simply answered and that provoke Darius to make a large cut on her forehead when someone suddenly screamed. The pecan-head thought that it came from her own throat but from the corner of her eye, she saw Pippa screamed for help.

A male teacher suddenly popped out of the building and looked in morbid shock. "Oi!" He shouted, catching the attention of the two bullies. Darius unceremoniously dropped her on the ground and scampered away from the approaching teacher. "We'll come back for what you've done, Autumn!" Darius threatened and climbed the fence separating the high school from the elementary.

"What happened here?" The male teacher inquired, pushing his glasses further to his nose. "Good afternoon, sir. Those bullies were saying nasty things to the children." The children who were attending to her fallen position, nodded vigorously. "I believe you all. Now, Miss Autumn, go to the clinic and let Ms. Marie clean your cut. As for you children, storytelling won't happen this time, go back to your classrooms." The male teacher seemed to know her name and purpose but she didn't want to ask how he did. And with that, the male teacher departed, disappearing inside the school.

The children all hung their head and gave Teddy a group hug. "Don't believe any of those things they said. Santa worked hard on delivering the toys around the world. The Easter Bunny is the one who painted and hide the eggs on Easter Sunday. The Tooth Fairy tried her hardest to quietly snatch your tooth under your pillow and put a quarter in return. And no, Jack Frost doesn't bring cold and death but fun times and snow days. They are real and that what matters." Teddy's little speech brought a small smile on the children's faces and they went back to their classroom but one decided to be left behind. Jamie.

"You were so brave Miss Autumn. And no, I don't believe them. I believe in what you said. But I should have stop the fatty from handing the rock to his boss. You're telling this to Jack, right?" The brunette asked, his brown eyes twinkling in curiosity. "Don't blame yourself kiddo. I'm fine and yep, I'm going to tell Jack about this later. Now off you or you'll be late for class." Teddy ruffled the boy's hair and Jamie sprinted towards the back entrance of the school, waving goodbye.

The girl happily waved back and stared at the boy's retreating back. She stood up, brushing the dust and dirt from her pants. The pecan-head touched her forehead with her good hand and winced. Blood tainted her fingertips and went to the clinic, following the male teacher's advice.

* * *

Jack Frost waited for his friend to arrive. He lounged on the desk chair and scrutinized the pages of the _Book Thief._ The winter spirit was glad that Teddy placed a bookmark where he left off and easily picked up with what's happening in the book. He would have thank her for that the moment she arrives.

He heard the tingling of keys and perked up. He placed the blue bookmark to where he last glanced and closed it, returning it to its original place in the bookshelf. Jack went downstairs, frost trailing behind him, eager to greet the girl. What he saw was not a good sight to see. A square-cut bandage was taped on her forehead and she's a bit pale. The immortal teen inwardly groaned. _Another injury? I swear, this girl is going to kill me with my own worry!_

"Good evening, Jack." She cheerfully smiled and put the keys in her shoulder bag. "That's what you're gonna say to me? _Good evening?_ What happened? Oh, never mind! We're going to North's! Change your clothes, bring a pair of pyjamas and your homework." Teddy blinked a few times, processing what the boy ordered her to do.

The girl hastily went upstairs and did what the winter spirit said. She quickly changed into a simple outfit. The pecan-head wore a plain grey hoodie partnered with denim skinny jeans and black high-cut Converse. The 16-year-old girl grabbed a black duffel bag and stuff a pair of pyjamas and the contents of her shoulder bag. Teddy zipped it up and Jack appeared behind her back, smiling mischievously.

The Guardian of Fun brought a diabolical snow globe out of his blue hoodie pocket. "Not another snow globe!" Teddy groaned and hung her head while standing beside her friend. "To North." The boy whispered and threw the snow globe at the girl's bedroom wall. "Shall we?" Jack offered his hand, smiling sweetly at Teddy. The pecan-head gripped the duffel bag's strap slung on her shoulder. "We shall." Teddy grabbed the boy's hand so hard that both their knuckles turned white.

They stepped into the multi-colored portal and easily disappeared without any trace. The two teens finally outcome the near-to vomiting and fainting but there is still a trickle of dizziness. Teddy clumsily tripped and fell face first on the cold floor while Jack fell on his butt. She remained slump on the floor for a while, trying to stop the spinning of her head. Moments after recovering the ability to understand the things happening around her, she noticed that they ended up in a fairly lit bathroom.

The girl knew that they arrived in Santoff Claussen because of the bathroom's designs. A white sink was placed near the door along with a mirror but the odd thing is that blinking Christmas lights snaked around the glass. A toilet sat beside the sink, a Santa's sleigh embossed on the ivory tank. A red bath mat with a snowflake pattern adorned the white-tiled floor. Jack was absolutely horrified. A red hamper was placed underneath a towel rack screwed on the other side of the room. The walls were painted in moss green.

One thing, however, was out of place. Yes, they're mistakingly teleported in a bathroom but the pale red shower curtain was closed and Teddy heard water cascading from the silhouette of the shower head. The pecan-head heard a man, a Russian man, singing _Santa Claus is Coming to Town _at the top of his lungs. He's very good in singing but only with Christmas carols, to his dismay. She stared at Jack, looking like a fish out of water with his eyes wide and mouth agape. The answer was written all over the winter spirit's face.

_They're in Santa Clause's bathroom._

A snicker came from Jack and a giggle from Teddy. The winter bringer pursed his lips and put a forefinger on it, shushing the stifling girl. The storyteller simply nodded and grinned. It was a simple prank but the reaction they would get is priceless. The boy then crept near the toilet, grabbed the handle and slowly but surely, did a flush. A high-pitched yelp came from the drawn shower curtain and the man's silhouette turned to face them. "JACK! TEDDY!" North shouted, clearly taken by surprise with the sudden burst of scalding hot water.

The two childish teens burst out laughing and stumbled out of the bathroom, not wanting to face North's fury and possibly, his _manhood. _They made it to the Globe Room, still guffawing. They both clutched their stomachs and tears started to form in the brink of their eyes. North's reaction is priceless! The two wished they had a video camera right now. After their hysterics died down, they noticed the three other Guardians looking befuddled at them.

Before Jack and Teddy could explain about their lunacy, North entered the room with his face beet red. He was clutching the white towel around his waist and his arm in mid-air. "JACK! TEDDY! BOTH IN NAUGHTY LIST!" He boomed before storming out. The three Guardians were stunned at first but their two teens burst into another fit of laughter. It was so contagious that the rest joined the laughter as well. Fortunately, Sandy was testing his old Polaroid camera and took a perfect picture of North's outburst. That sent them in another fit of guffawing.

After finally recovering and only a few stifled snickers left, North entered the room with dignified air around him. The bearded-man looked very collected and act like as if nothing embarrassing happened. He greeted his fellow Guardians but when it came to Jack and Teddy, he gave them a glare and a cookie and a whisper saying, "Still on the Naughty List." They both gulped and quietly munched their cookies.

When their brief meeting ended, Tooth spoke. "What happened to your forehead, Teddy?" The human girl subconsciously touched her forehead and winced a bit. "Oh, that. I got it from fighting bullies." She said coolly as if it's not a big deal at all. "_Fighting bullies?_ You're a bloody shiela!"Bunny exclaimed in disbelief. Teddy shot him a glare but said nothing more. "Care to explain?" North spoke, quirking his thick eyebrow.

"The two bullies said to the children that all of you are not real. That it was their parents doing what you do. Leaving gifts under the tree on Christmas, painting and hiding the eggs and stealing their tooth and replacing it with a quarter." Teddy explained while fiddling with her fingers. "Actually, I was defending Jamie's group. Of course, they don't believe at what the bullies said but there is a possibility. A girl, Pippa I think, shouted _'They're real! I believe in them! Even in Jack Frost!'. _I might have rubbed it in their faces so Darius, one of the bullies, decided to retort back. That's when I punched him." She chuckled awkwardly, taking an interest at a loose strand of her hair.

"What did he said about me?" Jack, of course, would ask. Bunny once told him that his curiosity would be the death of him but Jack didn't care. Teddy bit her lip and glanced at the winter spirit. "I can take it." The boy simply stated. The 16-year-old bit her lip even harder but answered the curious teen. "He said that you bring nothing but cold and death in the world and that's when I punched him." _Oh. _Not a trail of hurt appeared on the boy's face but instead, ask his friend to continue with her story.

"He got mad that I punched him so he ordered his accomplice to hand him the sharp rock. That's where I got the cut. After that, a teacher appeared when Pippa screamed and the bullies scampered back to the high school building. I reassured the children that you are all and that Jack Frost would never bring something like that. I said that Jack Frost bring snow days and fun times. End of story." She grinned, clearly happy that a weight on her shoulders was lifted up.

"Thank you ver much Teddy! You strengthened the belief of children on us." Tooth hugged the girl and twirled her from the ground. "Da. You have Guardian material." Father Christmas hugged her as well after the fairy let go. "I want to see ya punch sometimes, shiela. You'd make a great warrior someday." Bunny winked. "I did gave him a good punch. Broke his nose, actually." The Guardians stared at her, not in horror, but in shock. Bunny and Teddy laughed and the Pooka ruffled her hair. Lastly, Sandy gave her two thumbs up and hugged the girl.

They chatted and drank eggnog for a while before Jack dragged her away from the crowd. "Good night fellas." Teddy bit adieu but after Bunny rubbed his nose on her temple, of course. The two teens headed to Jack's room, the silence comfortably hung in the air. They entered the bedroom and Teddy flopped on the bed, bringing out her homework. That's when their heated debate started again. But of course, the lass was defeated because Jack's previous answer was correct.

After an squabble about _x_ and _y, _Teddy changed her jeans into baggy pyjama pants while Jack changed into his usual sky-blue pyjamas. The pecan-haired girl tiredly lied on the bed and sighed in relief when the soft material touched her back. She covered herself with a blanket and let out another sigh of relief. The youngest Guardian chuckled at the girl's weird antiques as he sat down beside her. He slowly stroke her pecan-colored hair and Teddy hummed in his touch.

"You've always been the one telling the bedtime stories but now, it's my turn." Teddy smiled eagerly at that and her emerald orbs sparkled in merriment. "You'll love it, I promised." Jack let out a toothy grin that Tooth would surely gooey-eyed at. The winter spirit continued stroking Teddy's hair as he soothingly tell the story.

* * *

_Once upon a time..._

_It was a midwinter night when moonbeams hit the lake like a spotlight. A boy suddenly emerged, with uncanny white hair and striking blue eyes. He gasped as he flew above the lake, staring at the moon blankly. "Your name is Jack Frost." The moon soothingly whispered and the boy never heard the ball of pale light speak again. He descended and gracefully touched the surface of the frozen lake. He noticed that he was numb from the cold. A shepherd's cane kissed his toe and he looked down when frost curled around the wood._

_He picked it up and was amazed at the intricate frost coming from the butt of the staff. The boy tried his powers and chuckled. It was beautiful. The boy gripped his staff and suddenly he was propelled in the sky by the wind. He clumsily flew and suddenly fell down, hitting a sturdy branch of a tree. That's when he saw a town. The boy decided to fly there, wanting to know where he was. He flew to the town and ungracefully touched down. He stumbled but only laughed at his mistake. _

_The boy greeted the townspeople but they ignored him, as if he was not there at all. He could feel the fear starting to form inside his chest. He crouched down and planned to greet the running boy but the child passed through him and that was the most painful thing he ever felt. It was like his soul had been ripped apart and sewed together again. He gasped and stood up, feeling a lot of pain when people passed through him._

_He was alone. He was invisible. No one can hear him. No one can hold him. He was just a mere ghost. _

_But negative thoughts was not his cup of tea. He had his powers and the wind to accompany him in dealing loneliness. 300 years of no one to talk to, no one to say hi at but he got used to it that it turned into a normal, everyday thing. __He outworn his brown cloak and vest so he got a blue sweater from a thrift shop. 300 years of wandering around the world, bringing snow days, and and setting up pranks even though the children and adults can't see him. Nevertheless, he enjoyed doing his job. _

_The boy overcome the first 300 years but his 301st is not what he expected. He was lured in an alleyway by a rabbit, a 6'1" rabbit. With boomerangs and leather. The boy was shoved in a sack and tossed into a magic portal. Soon, he came face to face with the Guardians. The Big Four. The big league. Why, of all times, now? Why did they noticed him just now? It could be in his 100 years where the war had __scarred him for while. It could be in his first year where he desperately wants to know his purpose and why he can make it snow or produce frost. It could in his 150 years where he badly wants someone to talk to. Why now?_

_Now, they wanted him to be a Guardian. But he didn't want to. He doesn't like being cooped up in a hiding place for eternity and all the deadlines! That's when they explained the job of being a Guardian. Each of the lights flickering on the globe, is a child. A child who believes in them. Their job is simple to say but hard to do. They need to protect the children from danger. And in order to that, they gave them wonder, hope and dreams or even reliving the happiest memory of a child.  
_

_The boy didn't want that. He didn't want to do the job. He didn't belong in the so-called Guardians. But when they brought up Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, the Nightmare King, everything changes. It all started when Pitch stole the teeth and Tooth's mini-fairies. Tooth informed the boy that the children's baby teeth contained memories and since the boy doesn't remember anything from his past, he is willing to help them. _

_They had a lot of fun times even in the midst of battle. The competition with the tooth-collecting. The making of the Easter eggs and Sophie appearing in the Warren. They had their laughter and happiness but the boy always thought that he doesn't belong. He doesn't belong in their family. _

_He took the little one home and that's when everything started to fall. A voice called him. The voice said his name and he followed it. Followed it down the pitch black hole. He arrived at the Boogeyman's lair and Pitch taunted him, made him confused on what's happening but before he leave, Pitch willingly gave him his tooth box. He returned to the surface but Bunny's hurtful words lashed him out. _

_He already started thinking that maybe the Guardians could accept him but all those fresh thoughts disappeared from his mind when Bunny lashed him out. He ended up in Antarctica, trying to dispose of the tooth box but he couldn't. That's when Pitch appeared for an offer. Pitch wanted the boy join him. Cold and darkness are the best combination. The boy contemplated with the idea but he shouldn't. A trade started to form. His staff in exchange of the strangled mini-fairy. Of course, he gave up his staff and Pitch broke it. That's when he felt the second most painful thing. It felt like someone snapped his spine. _

_Pitch threw him in a ravine along with Baby Tooth and his broken staff. His tooth box suddenly glowed and showed him his memories. About how he saved his sister from the cracking ice. How he made it into a fun game. Adrenaline rushed through him and fixed his staff the second time he tried. He went back to Pitch's lair, to save the mini-fairies but they can't fly. The boy noticed that the lights are flickering out like a blown candle but one had remained lit. "Jamie!" He exclaimed when he got ahold of the location. He went straight there, to Burgess. _

_He saw the brunette, talking to his stuffed bunny. The last light wanted the bunny to prove that the Easter Bunny is real but the boy was the one who did it. He formed frost on the window glass and brought the 2D drawing into a fragile, realistic, hopping bunny. The creature burst into snow and nipped the brunette's nose. "Jack Frost?" The last light asked and that's when the boy had his first believer._

_The boy managed to discover his center in the midst of battle. A center is what makes a Guardian strong. It's what they gave to the children. "We're gonna have a little fun instead." He whispered and realization hit him hard like a thrown rock. Fun is his center! He saved his sister with a fun game! Fun is what makes him a Guardian. He managed to defeat Pitch with the rest of the Guardians and the children. He gained eight believers in one day and there are so much more to come. _

_He accepted being a Guardian and that's when he realizes, maybe he does belong in the family after all. _

* * *

Jack breathed out the last word of the story. He looked at Teddy who was smiling softly at him. "You're not alone." The girl whispered tenderly. She yawned and ever so slowly, her green eyes closed and sleep succumbed her. The winter spirit didn't noticed that in the middle of telling the bedtime story, he cried. He quickly wiped the tears away from his face and let out an uplifted smile.

He kissed the girl's forehead and slithered beside her, turning off the lights but leaving a small lamp for her. He knew that she is afraid of the dark but didn't know the reason why. At least he told her about the Guardians' existence and why the group was formed. He happily smiled once more before Sandy's dream sand put him to a deep sleep.

_"He accepted being a Guardian and that's when he realizes, maybe he does belong in the family after all." _The sentence echoed in his dreams, making Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun, smile in his sleep.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Unedited so I'm very sorry for the typos, missing words or letters, and grammar mistakes.

I cried so hard when writing the bedtime story. Did you?

Some clarifications, Jack first met Teddy on a Saturday and met her again a week later. She went to North's on a Sunday and the burnt hand happened on a Monday night, Jack's discovery of her burnt hand was on a Tuesday and this chapter all happened on a Wednesday. Did you get it? I hope no one's confused.

I'm sorry that I did a late update but Pitch is giving me horrifying nightmares for three nights already. I haven't got enough sleep so yeah. Hope you laugh at the bathroom scene. I have a confession to make. I'M. NOT. GOOD. WITH. HUMOR.

No one headcanons for today because I can't think straight. Follow me though, on Tumblr. (jacks-teddy is my url)

"Read and review!" A 17-year-old girl cheerfully shouted, with brown cascading hair and moss green eyes. _(Who the hell is she?)_

Your in-need-of-good-night-sleep author, Star.

P.S. Sandy please visit me.


	14. Invitation

Thursday and Friday quickly passed by.

Jack would always visit Teddy during one of those nights after bringing snow and fun times around the world. The boy would always join Teddy for dinner. They would go to her bedroom and debate about whether or not one's answer is correct for a particular portion of the girl's homework. The Guardians noticed that the two are becoming closer by each passing day. They say that the two are inseparable, much to Bunny's rumbling.

Of course, the Big Four knew that Teddy is a likeable person but they couldn't warn Jack that he shouldn't get too attached with humans. They are immortals while humans are not. Teddy would someday grow up, get married and die of old age, which leads them to another case. What if Jack falls in love with Teddy? They can't turn Teddy into a spirit or a Guardian without Manny's consent, no matter how much Jack invested in pleading.

But for the moment, they would keep quiet and let the boy learn about this in his own little way. After all, Jack is a free and lone spirit, and doesn't like the Guardians hovering. But as the newest Guardian get attached to Teddy, so do they. North got used to Teddy sleeping in the Santoff Claussen every night, whether there is school or not. The Russian even decided to clean the guest rooms and give one to Teddy.

Tooth and Sandy love the girl around as well, even though their jobs are in the way. Especially Tooth. She loves to have an actual girl to chat with, not with mini-versions of herself.

Bunny has the worst case of attachment. Ever since he laid eyes upon Teddy, he became an overprotective father. He would remind the two not to get into trouble before letting them go. And now that the four Guardians are attached, North invited Teddy to attend their "Guardians-only" Christmas party.

* * *

Teddy choked from her hot chocolate. "What?" She asked in disbelief. They were currently _cuddling _and wrapped around in the blanket on the sofa while watching _The Hobbit _on television. The two immensely watch Bilbo Baggins persuade the trolls to not eat his friends and himself.

"I clearly stated that North invited you on our Christmas party." Jack repeated himself as he adjusted his body under the blanket. He didn't feel too warm while wrapped around the fabric. The winter spirit can withstand body heat and warm blankets. "Isn't that supposed to be your chance to celebrate Christmas together? As a family?" Teddy threw a question again as she placed her mug on the coffee table.

Jack was taken aback by his friend's enquiry. He never thought that the Guardians looked at him as family. After 300 years of loneliness, he was not clearly used to this. The boy can't even handle simple affectionate gestures, much alone this! "I don't know." The immortal teen croaked. The movie soon turned into a background noise as the two chatted.

"Christmas is in a few days!" Teddy suddenly exclaimed, standing up from her seat. "Yeah." The boy said, looking befuddled. The girl started pacing, her thumb and forefinger placed on her chin. She kept mumbling about "shopping" and "want." The hellion can't comprehend what she's even muttering. "Teddy relax," Jack stood up, grabbing his friend's shoulder and coaxing her to sit down again. "And enjoy the show." And they did but the boy didn't notice the girl's panic-stricken face.

* * *

Jack Frost flew back to Burgess. He finally finished his Guardian job for the day and now, he's going to pick Teddy up. Ever since he witness the actions of Teddy's abusive father, from the broken arm to the burnt hand, Jack decided to let the girl stay at night on Santoff Claussen so that her father wouldn't bother her. Teddy never utter a protest but reluctantly agreed.

"Teddy!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs and dive-bombed inside Teddy's window. "What?!" She exclaimed while glaring at the boy. The winter spirit back off a bit like a scared prey. "Woah! Teddy, relax." He said too many times. The girl sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little snappy when I'm having writer's block." She stood up from her desk chair and went to hug Jack.

Teddy rarely does that. She never hugged a single person in five years. After Jack came, she started doing it again. A miracle, to say the least. The Guardian knew what her hugs meant. If she tackled you into a hug, she doesn't want you to leave. Normal hugs are for hellos and goodbyes or long-time-no-sees. Slowly making her way and hugging you means that she needs comfort or giving one. In this case, she needs comfort.

"What are you writing?" Jack asked after he broke the 10-second hug. "Random stories." Teddy said in a hushed tone. The green-eyed girl stood in front of desk, somehow defending it from the snatching hands and curious eyes of Jack. The boy inclined his neck, catching a glimpse of paint and medium-sized canvases. "You started painting again?" The boy asked, out of mere curiosity. "Yep." She whispered. "Not anything dark, of course." Teddy added.

"Okay." Jack grinned, not wanting to further prod at Teddy's privacy. That's one of the things Jack noticed. His friend is secretive. She never really tells a lot about her works, whether in ink or in paint. Jack once asked about her mother and she never answered, as if the question went in her ear and exited on the other end. Jack is a gentleman and he respects Teddy's privacy even though curiosity is killing him in the inside.

"Shall we go?" Teddy asked, breaking Jack's train of thoughts. She likes to wear simple clothes. A white tank top underneath a plaid blue long-sleeve button-up shirt partnered with jeans and a pair of low-cut black Converse without socks. Her pecan-colored hair is tied in a low-side ponytail. "Are we gonna fly or are we gonna use a snow globe?" She inquisitively asked, adjusting the black duffel bag's strap on her shoulder.

Jack gestured a snow globe in his hand and Teddy sighed. She never love the orb-shaped, _pretty_, diabolical things but she got used to it. "Santoff Claussen." The hellion whispered under his breath and mildly threw the snow globe. Although it was fun ending up in North's personal bathroom and pranking him, Jack never wanted the accident to repeat ever again.

A brightly multi-colored portal opened and Teddy automatically grabbed the boy's cold hand as they went through the magical transporter. They fortunately ended up in one of hallways and easily made their way to where the Guardians would mostly hang, the Globe Room. Bunny was there, idly spinning his boomerang while leaning on the wood post near the fireplace. Tooth remained suspended in the air while giving commands to her mini-fairies. North was nowhere to be found.

"Hey guys." Jack greeted, dragging Teddy behind him. Bunny looked up from his boomerang smiled while Tooth gave them a glance before ordering a fairy again. "Ow-yar-goin, mates?" The Australian accent very evident when Bunny spoke. The Pooka hopped in front of them and gave Jack a noogie and Teddy a hug. "Fine." Jack smirked, thanking MiM he could understand Australian slang. Teddy, on the other hand, grumbled something about "Christmas" and "last-minute."

Tooth finally spotted the two and gave them both an ecstatic hug. The winter spirit reluctantly returned the gesture while Teddy hugged back with equal ecstasy. "Hi Tooth! Mind if I talk to you for a sec?" The human girl inquired but her face had a pleading look. The hummingbird paused for a while and stared at her friend with pure shock but nevertheless, nodded.

"Su–_ Naples, lower left and right central, accident with a skateboard._" The Tooth Fairy suddenly outbursts with directions and point her mini fairy to head out. "Oops, sorry about that. Sure. I leave Baby Tooth in-charge." Tooth smiled a vibrant one and instructed the little one before going to the kitchen with Teddy.

"Girls." The white-haired boy snorted and rolled his eyes. "Welcome back, Jack!" A Russian voice boomed and the two Guardians turned around to see North with arms wide open. "Hey, North." The boy casually greeted, freezing an elf in the process. "Aren't you supposed to be busy?" Bunny asked, giving a pointed look at Father Christmas. "Da. But first, let me greet my guests." North implied and grabbed Jack in a bone-crushing hug. The boy lost all the air from his lungs and he could feel his ribs cracking.

The Cossack released the winter spirit and turned to Bunny but the rabbit is quick, hopping away from the bulky man. "Oh no, mate. No one hugs this rabbit." Bunny cautiously looked at his fellow Guardian. "Buzzkill. Where are the girls?" North looked around and asked. "Kitchen." The fellow men grunted. "Da. I'll go to them." And the big man disappeared.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"What do you want to talk about?" Tooth worriedly asked while ducking under the yetis' arms who were carrying a big, brown box. "It's about the Christmas party." Teddy answered wearily while grabbing a brown mug with a teddy bear design on it. The girl made her way in front of a wide tray with thermoses sitting on top of it. She easily filled it with cappuccino and sat on the countertop of the kitchen. "What about it?" The colorful fairy asked whilst stopping her girl friend from touching the rims of the cup.

"Coffee is bad for your teeth. It's very acidic. When your mouth environment is acidic, bad bacteria multiply more rapidly. The acid coming from their waste products will surely attack your enamel. Caffeine interferes with natural saliva production, which can cause you dry mouth and also lead to tooth decay. And coffee stains the teeth and I don't want your pearly white teeth to be yellowish." Tooth lectured about and Teddy merely rolled her eyes. Not even her dentist lectures like that.

"Why am I even invited?" The 16-year-old drawled, not wanting to stray away from the main purpose of the talk. "And I love drinking coffee, thank you very much." Teddy smirked, sipping her delicious coffee. Tooth wrinkled her nose in disgust but did not prattle another lecture, thank God! "Well, you're family." Tooth simply stated. The girl once again choked from drinking hot liquids and looked flabbergasted.

"I'm family?" She asked in scepticism. "Of course! Jack treats you as family, whether he knows it or not, and so do we." The fairy said as if it was most obvious thing in the world. "I don't know what to answer." Teddy replied a bit dumbly. "Oh honey." Tooth sympathetically mumbled and hugged the human girl. "You're family and that's what matters." Tooth whispered and rubbed the girl's back comfortingly.

* * *

The girls emerged from the kitchen and Tooth went back in commanding her fairies. The girls shared a knowing look but said nothing. What was talked about in the kitchen, stays at the kitchen. "Wanna hit the hay?" Jack smiled which brings immediate comfort to Teddy. "Sure. That's a good one." Teddy agreed but cannot force herself to smile back. "Why are ya hitting the hay? North doesn't have any horses." Bunny informed as his long ears shot up when he heard the two conversing.

The winter spirit stared at the Pooka stupefyingly and burst out laughing. The two girls chuckle at the boy's reaction and at Bunny's confused face. "It's slang, Bunny. You should learn the American one sometimes." Jack breathed out after his fit of laughter died down. Bunny only snorted but he was obviously embarrassed.

"Good night, Ted." Bunny whispered as he hugged Teddy. The girl's head easily fitted under Bunny's chin and he subconsciously rubbed it a little. "Ted? That's new. Good night Aster." The girl spoke in a ushered tone so that only the two of them can hear the address. The grey-furred rabbit chuckled and ruffled the storyteller's hair, effortlessly ruining her ponytail. The two girls hugged each other and bid adieu.

Jack dragged his friend towards the location of the guest rooms. He didn't know what's bothering his Teddy lately but he's determined to find out.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

MidnightWolf191: I'm an only child so there's no one to prank, to my dismay.

LittleRedRiddingWolf: Whew, I thought I didn't manage to pull that one off.

EmeraldRhino: I was scared that when I posted the last chapter, I was making Teddy a star or what. Yep, no one wants to get burned.

Hiya fellas! This chapter is unedited. No, this is not a filler chapter but rather it's a bit dull, don't you think? Nope, Bunny is not marking Teddy as his mate or whatever but rather, it's sometimes done to a family member, I think.

Any guesses about what's bothering Teddy? Also, did you read the new summary of the story? I liked it more and it's better. Okay, do you think I'm rushing the story? Or not? Tell me your opinions. There will be no headcanons this time because I can't think straight again.

By the way, go to my profile and check the poll I posted. I need all of you to answer it because it's going to help me decide what RotG fic I'm going to write next after this one. Thank you very much! Wow, I didn't write a super long author's note.

"Read and review." Pitch sulkily said as he hugged his knees and stare at a corner of his lair. _(Poor Pitch.)_

Yours truly, Star.


	15. Merry Christmas

_Jack dragged his friend towards the location of the guest rooms. He didn't know what's bothering his Teddy lately but he's determined to find out._

* * *

The long days slowly and agonizingly started, filled with a lot of glare-shooting and grumbling under one's breath. Jack had been observant, almost like a hawk eyeing his prey.

In that long span of time, even though it's near to Christmas, the yetis managed to clean a guest room for Teddy and every time the two would sleep there for the night, the girl would lock herself in her room and won't come out until the next afternoon.

She had been groggy from the lack of sleep and very unresponsive. No one knew what her night endeavours were and they respect Teddy's privacy even though their worry and curiosity are eating them in the inside. Like Jack, the lass doesn't like the hovering so the Guardians left her be but the winter spirit wasn't about to give up.

He observed his friend's movements, from the brushing of hair to the rubbing of eyes. The Guardians thought that Jack has this stalker side in him.

Some days, Teddy is a bit snappy. She almost act like a true daughter of Bunny. The five Guardians obviously backed off, not wanting the girl to bite their heads off. Of course, Teddy would apologize at the end of the day.

No one knew what caused Teddy's strange behaviour. Until the night before Christmas Eve, did it subside. They all heard her sigh in utter relief. As if she solved the problems of the world and brought world peace. The Guardians sighed in relief as well because Teddy is back to her normal, outgoing self.

It seems like she doesn't remember any of the glare-shooting, grumbling and snapping that occurred for the past few days. The girl was drinking mocha this time, much to Tooth's disgust.

The workshop was buzzing. Neither yeti nor elf stopped preparing for Christmas. Teddy smiled at the lively activities as she sipped her hot mocha. Finally, the bravest of the Guardians approached her. "What have ya been busying about lately?" The Pooka asked, hunching beside the peaceful lassie. "You'll see." Was her cryptic reply.

All of them retired early to bed and on Christmas Eve morning, Jack brought Teddy back to her house. Before the two teens leave, North had given her a special message. "Dress up." The winter spirit left her in her house so that the boy could bring a white Christmas around the world, where winter is one of their seasons.

The storyteller calmly waved goodbye at her friend before shedding her facade. Teddy was panicking and that's not a good sign. She sprinted inside her house and went straight to her bedroom. They still haven't fixed the doorknob but that could wait.

Damn North and his message! Teddy got ahold of her closet and whipped it open. She frantically skimmed the insides for a nice dress. Simple but would take the Guardians' breath away. Not that she cared about appearance but the way he said his special message kept ringing in her mind and ears.

The girl looked at every piece of clothing in her closet and sighed in defeat. She sat there for a while, contemplating on what to wear for the Christmas party. Teddy came across a dress, the most-likely-to-be-perfect one. The pecan-haired girl nodded in agreement and neatly folded it before stashing it in her duffel bag along with her Christmas presents to them.

Teddy cleaned her room and the whole house as she waited for Jack to pick her up. Everything was in the proper place and everything was dusted and sparkled in cleanliness. She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and sighed in relief at a job well done.

The storyteller cook Christmas dinner for her father and placed her Christmas present to him beside the said plate of delicious food. Teddy knew that her father would arrive shortly. The lass ran to her bedroom and prepared for departure.

She changed her clothes soaked in cold sweat into newly washed ones. Teddy wore a baggy pink sweater partnered with faded jeans and black flats. Unlike most girls, she doesn't have an obsession with the color pink but the sweater is very comfy.

The girl slung the duffel bag on her shoulder and braided her hair in a utterly messy way. The green-eyed lady ran out of her house and was greeted by the chilly air.

The 16-year-old girl sat on the steps of her front porch, waiting for her best friend, Jack Frost. The boy let out a howl and expertly plummeted to the ground. Teddy jumped in surprise but smiled warmly at the new arrival. "Hey." She casually greeted. Jack grinned at the girl and grab something in his hoodie pocket. Teddy, of course, easily noticed.

"If that's a snow globe, no need to waste it. I like to fly again." She pleadingly looked at Jack. The winter spirit hesitated at first but he couldn't resist the puppy eyes his friend is giving him. "I don't care if we arrive late. I just wanna soar in the air again." She said, almost dreamily. The hellion chortled when Teddy did a little twirl to add to her implication.

"Fine, little lady." He agreed but suddenly halted in his tracks. That nickname. He remembered calling someone that. Jack felt a nostalgic feeling in the pit of his stomach but he simply ignored it. "Jackie?" Teddy confusingly whispered, placing a hand on the boy's shoulders. Jack jolted like being electrified all of a sudden.

"I'm fine." He said too many times already. How that lie had always been recycled but still effective, he didn't know. "Would Ms. Teddy do the honour?" The girl was surprised at first but quickly accepted it like a challenge. "Hey, Wind!" She eagerly shouted, "Take us home!" And the wind gladly lifted them up.

"YEAH!" Teddy screamed at the top of her lungs. She was not holding Jack's hand this time which made it felt more awesome by the second. The two glided in the air like two lovebirds. The girl followed where Jack would head and they race while suspended in the sky.

The two wild teenagers arrived at Santoff Claussen in a nick of time. North already put his famous red coat on. It had black fur trims partnered with a hat that has also black fur. "Let's go, Jack!" The man shouted whilst heading to the sleigh. "Where are you going?" She asked, completely confused. "I want to help North deliver the presents. You wanna come, if it's alright with North?" Jack mischievously smirked as he side glanced at the huge man.

"Next Christmas." The girl politely declined and fortunately, Jack didn't look disappointed. "Okay. You'll miss the fun, though. Goodbye!" The white-haired trickster kissed his friend's cheek before bolting out of the door and into the sleigh. "Goodbye." Teddy drone as she touched the invisible kiss mark.

"Bunny's here, Teddy." North pat her back that made her lost all her breath. "Good luck North and Merry Christmas." She waved the Russian goodbye and the man exuberantly laughed. "Merry Christmas Teddy!" And the Cossack ecstatically waved back before disappearing outside the workshop and embracing the world.

* * *

Jack was enjoying the Wind putting its metaphorical arms around him. It was comforting him after what happened a while ago. He kissed Teddy! Even though it's on the cheek, it's still considered a kiss. That does mean anything to Teddy because there is to him!

The winter spirit felt the blush creeping its way to his face. "Jack, are you okay?" North asked, noticing the boy's discomfort like the back of his hand. "Yeah!" Jack shouted in order for North to hear it through the roaring wind. The Russian whipped the leash and the sleigh sped up, heading to its first destination.

* * *

The curious 16 years old finally found the living room where Aster would be found. It was underneath the Globe Room. The bunny was warming his feet near the fireplace and burred because of the cold. "Aster." She called out. The Pooka turned around and grinned at the girl. "'Ello, mate." Teddy saunter to where the Easter Bunny is located and sat down on a Christmas green colored sofa.

The living room is one of the warm and comfy places in the workshop. Teddy absorbed the interiors of the room. A brightly lit Christmas tree stood a few feet away from the fireplace. Three large sofas gathered around the hearth, a perfect place for storytelling. Stockings were hung and Christmas lights were lit. A red carpet adorned the floorboards of the room.

Bunny soon joined her on the sofa and the two fell into a comfortable silence. "Aster?" Teddy softly spoke, eyeing the peaceful bunny. "Yeh?" He had replied. "Have you ever been in love before?" The girl cryptically asked. The fire's reflection danced in her orbs that made Aster think of forests under a summer sun. The lass did not wait for an answer. "Because I think I am. Ever so slowly." She quietly mumbled.

Aster, for once, never thought of the worst case scenarios. It was okay to fall in love, especially this young. But a question keep boggling his mind. With whom? Bunny caught something out of the corner of his eye. Something silver. Around Teddy's neck but he did not dare question it. They once again fell into a comfortable silence, until Tooth came.

The fairy gushed over her girl friend and soon, they exited the room. The ladies kept talking about attires and dresses and Bunny was left to his thoughts. He stared at the fire, completely mesmerized by it. Teddy was slowly falling in love. The Pooka already guessed who it was. Jack. The boy was the most likeable person in the room and only a year older than Teddy. _It's already been 16 years, huh? _

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a slam of a door. Teddy was wearing a red chiffon dress with a haltered top partnered with silver-rhinestone flats. "How is it?" Teddy shyly asked, trying to hide the blush creeping into her face. "Beautiful." Was Bunny's simple reply. The rabbit knew that the attire is for the party. Her dress is actually appropriate for it. Not too lavish but breathtaking. It would also make a certain winter spirit gawk.

The attire was soon hidden under a black coat. The drinking and the eating would happen this Christmas Eve night while the opening of presents will happen on Christmas Day. A special day with family. Bunny is excited to see Teddy's face when he give his gift to her.

North's toy delivery would most likely end at midnight so the Guardians and Teddy lounged in the living room. They will be soon called by the Russian to head to the Globe Room. A crash echoed in the interiors of Santoff Claussen and everyone went alert. The three of them went upstairs and saw North and Jack grinning like utter fools. Sandy was with them and shrugged at the commotion. "That was fun!" Jack bellowed and laughed melodically. The sound easily soothed the Guardians. They like to hear their little ankle biter laugh in merriment.

"Welcome back." Teddy appeared behind Tooth and Jack's jaw fell to the ground. North smiled triumphantly and Sandy clapped his little hands. "Thought you wouldn't do my message, yes?" North bellowed whilst hugging Teddy and patting her back for a job well done. "I almost didn't but hey, I found the perfect dress." She exclaimed happily and gave them all a twirl.

Bunny eyed the hellion and smirked knowingly. Jack was flabbergasted. Everyone thought that Teddy is breathtaking. The winter spirit reluctantly approached her but grinned nonetheless. "What a beautiful young lady." He said in a polite tone. "Why thank you good sir." Teddy chuckled as she played along.

North went to his office to remove the coat and hat and the yetis and some of the elves set up the table of food and drinks in the Santoff Claussen's ball room. It was huge and perfect for dancing. There were burgundy walls and a slick, marble floor. Even though there's only six of them, they needed to dance of course. The yetis put a DJ set in the far corner of the wall and Teddy was eyeing it hungrily.

"Can I plug in my iPod?" She asked to North and the man answered it with an amused laugh and a nod. Soon, Christmas music blared from the speakers and everyone was enjoying themselves. The human girl playfully grabbed Bunny's paw and they tackled the dance floor. They danced and twirled and laughed. They ate and drank, and in Teddy and Jack's case, two glasses of apple cider were handed to them.

But when North got drunk and started telling stories and reminiscing old memories, it made Teddy slowly stray away. The Russian man's bulky arm was around the drunk Pooka's shoulders. They laughed as they talked about the good times, years when Teddy was still not around. 1200s, 1700s, 1800s, etc. It made Teddy out of place.

She slowly crept away from the crowd and put the black coat on. She found a balcony in the ball room and hid there. "Hey, why don't you come inside and join the party?" Toothiana, the Queen of Fairies, went outside, and found Teddy looking at the dark snow covered mountains. Her elbows were propped up and her cheeks on her open palms. The human girl turned around with surprise painted on her face, her mouth agape as well.

She composed herself and smiled warmly at her only girl friend. "I'm kinda out of place." Teddy drawled as she gestured at herself sheepishly. Tooth did not get what her close friend mean and examined her attire. Nothing seemed to be amiss. "Nothing's wrong. You're fitting in just fine. Besides Jack likes, no, loves your outfit." The clueless fairy pointed out, a bit mischievously.

The pecan-head looked bewildered and smiled sheepishly. "Not that, Tooth. My outfit's fine like what you said but I'm, you know… human." She explained and took an interest at her silver-rhinestone flats. "Oh." Tooth muttered and looked down as well in embarrassment, because she did not easily pick up what her friend was saying. Teddy rarely sulk but if she did, it changes her behaviour a bit.

Teddy sighed and went back to her old position before Tooth came out. "Tooth, you know that I won't fit in easily. I don't know the Blizzard of '68 or any year of your adventures. I'm just…" Teddy paused and sighed, making a puff of cold air. "Aww, Teddy. The Guardians like you! I like you! North likes you! Sandy likes you and even Bunny! You're family." Tooth exclaimed as she gently place her hand on Teddy's shoulder and made her turned around. "I know." She mumbled.

Tooth let out a small smile and cheered her up, "Even Jack likes you." Teddy flushed in embarrassment. They suddenly kneeled down and sat on the snow covered balcony. Teddy was a mere human but she can handle the cold.

"Tooth? North is calling you to go inside." Jack stuck out his head from the glass window. "Okay. Got to go Teddy! See you later!" Tooth burst out and flew inside, leaving the two alone. "Teddy, are you okay? You seemed a little down." Jack softly asked as he floated out in front of her and helped her stand up.

"I'm a bit tired." The storyteller lied. "Let's go inside. The cold is not good for you." Teddy quirked an eyebrow at Jack's statement, as if there was a double meaning to it. The girl closed the glass window behind her and was greeted by the warm air of the ball room. North and Bunny slumped on the floor and leaning on each other's weight. They were snoring. Sandy must have knocked them out. Teddy brought out her Polaroid camera and snapped a picture of the two sleeping Guardians. She must have gotten it from her black coat.

They saw the gold man cornering the fairy. The Cossack managed to get the hummingbird-hybrid drunk as well. Tooth kept giggling like a mad girl and flew around the room. The former Star tried to hit the zooming fairy with a ball of dream sand and it almost hit Teddy as it bounced off the wall. Tooth blindly headed towards the direction of the sand ball and got hit on the face.

She slowly descend from the ceiling, her mini-fairies trying to keep her up. Sandy was able to catch the fairy and sighed in an inaudible relief. The Guardian of Dreams turned to the two teens and they gulped. They thought they were next. Sandy formed a sand made bed above his head along with the figures of Bunny, North and Tooth. "You're right. You should get them to bed." Teddy smiled and gave the little man two thumbs up.

Sandy tipped a sand made hat above his head and they bid goodbye to the Sandman as he carried the three Guardians to their bedrooms. The two were left alone with music blaring from the speakers. Heaven by Bryan Adams was now playing. Teddy saw a mischievous glint from Jack's icy blue eyes and she knew.

"May I have this dance?" The winter spirit asked while doing a gentleman-ly bow. Teddy did a curtsy and chortled. "Of course you may." She replied in affirmative and Jack grabbed her hand. Warm met cold. The boy removed the coat from her shoulders and it fell on the floor with a cluttering sound (_My camera!_). "It's a bit ironic, the song. I'm dead but I'm not in heaven. I'm stuck on Earth but I couldn't care less." Jack smirked.

It started with a simple sway as Jack placed his hand on Teddy's waist and hers on his shoulder. The hellion twirled his friend and he received a hearty chuckle in return. They didn't notice that Sandy came back and was now snapping a lot of stolen moments with his own Polaroid camera. The two were lost in their own little world.

* * *

You could hear simultaneous groans coming from three of the bedrooms. The sound bounce off the walls. The two teenagers chuckled as they went out of their own rooms. Teddy wore the pink sweater from before and brought her duffel bag as they made their way to the living room. Breakfast was served in the room and they helped themselves with waffles and berries as they waited for the three Guardians with most likely, a hangover.

Sandy joined them in eating breakfast and the three finally went down to the living room. The girl got from her seat and offered the three a cool glass of water that would ease the headache. They appreciatively took the offer and practically inhaled the water. Soon, they were refreshed and joined the other three who were eating breakfast.

They ate and laughed and Jack wouldn't have it any other way. He was finally having a family after 300 years of solitude and he wouldn't exchange it for the world. "Let's now open presents!" North bellowed as he made his way to the Christmas tree where wrapped presents hid under the plant.

They were boxes of different shapes and wrappers. "We Guardians don't normally give presents to each other because we don't know what to give anymore. But you, Jack, is an exception." Father Christmas winked as he brought out a small box from his back. "A gift that we hope you would accept. A gift that hopefully repents our 300 years of ignorance." Tooth looked at Jack with apologizing lavender eyes. The boy is near to tearing up.

Bunny took the gift from North's palm and nudged it in front of Jack's chest. The boy slowly accepted it and eyed it with childish curiosity. He slowly removes the red ribbon while difficultly trying to calm himself down as he remove the lid of the small, green box. An orb sat inside the cube. A snow globe. Jack carefully brought it out. It was smaller than North's other snow globes. "Why don't ya try and shake it?" The rabbit said encouragingly and Jack did. He was definitely crying right now.

When he shook the snow globe, the Santoff Claussen momentarily appeared inside the orb. He shook it again and there was the beautiful palace of Tooth. Jack did another shake and the Warren appeared. The boy sniffled and with one last shake, he saw the sky filled with gold sand and an aircraft floating in the middle of the vast landscape.

"It's not just for display but for transportation. You can use it any time you want. It's not like my snow globes that are a one-time teleportation. Merry Christmas Jack." North gave the boy a hug and Jack sobbed even more. "You are family Jack and our home is your home." Tooth smiled lovingly as she gave the boy a hug as well. Bunny playfully gave him a noogie and Sandy tackled the boy into a bear hug. "Jack?" North called out. "Ye-ah?" The winter spirit stuttered in happiness. "Here. Another gift." The bulky man placed a set of keys on Jack's palm.

The hellion eyed it curiously and examined every key. The first one is made out of wood and its head has an intricate carving, painted in red. The next one is made out of a grey rock and its head was shaped and carved like a sentinel egg of the Warren. He got ahold of a golden key and its head was shaped like a diamond painted in vibrant lavender. The last one was a simple key made of dream sand. "What are these keys for?" The blue-eyed boy asked as he calmed down from sobbing. "It opens to yer room." Was Bunny's cryptic answer. "My room?" Jack looked befuddled.

Sandy waved at the boy to catch his attention. The golden man then made a bed and an arrow pointing at four different places. "I have my own room in all of your homes?!" Exclaimed Jack and the Guardians nodded in affirmative. That made the winter spirit burst into tears again.

Teddy watched in the background, clearly happy for Jack. "Teddy, my girl. Come here!" The Cossack coaxed and she was dragged in a family hug. The storyteller only chuckled as they let go. "I'm very sorry for the way I behaved these past few days but I was actually making something." Teddy politely bowed and opened her duffel bag's zipper. The Guardians noticed six bottles and six canvases stashed in the black bag.

The human girl brought a bottle with a red bow tied below the cork. She handed it to North and the man looked at the insides. There was a scrolled white paper that represents as a message in a bottle. "I made a story for each and every one of you." She implied and brought her bag down on the floor.

She got a painted canvas from the bag and handed it to North. The rest of the Guardians peeked at North's gift. A young North was painted on the smooth canvas. He was standing on a roof sparring with a man in black. The Cossack was holding his famous dual swords and it shone under the moonlight. North choked and gave Teddy a bear hug. He almost let the bottle shatter on the floor. "It's best if you read your stories when you're alone." The human girl advised when she got another bottle with a teal bow tied on it. All of them guessed it's for Tooth and they were correct when their family member hand it to the fairy.

She got another canvas from the bag and a brown pouch with a leather brown belt and a feather, almost similar to Tooth's, sewn on it. She handed it to her girl friend and they all looked at it. Tooth was hovering on one of the sleeping child's bedroom. Teddy perfectly captured the loving look Tooth is giving to the sleeping girl. Her arms were crossed on her feathered chest and it reminded Jack of the time they were in Jamie's bedroom.

"That pouch has a seperation in the middle. You can put the collected teeth and quarters in there. The belt will securely hung from your waist and the feather is just for design. And don't worry, it's not from your body. I painted that myself." And Teddy was tackled by Tooth with a bone-crushing hug.

The pecan-head grabbed a bottle with a yellow bow tied on it and handed it to the Sandman. Teddy got another canvas and the Guardians curiously peeked on the painting when Sandy accepted it from the girl. Sandy was standing on his sand cloud and strands of dream sand came from his hands. It scattered all over the sleeping town and sand dinosaurs, mantas, butterflies, unicorns and dolphins roamed around the town.

"I know you love your job, Sandy so I painted this." Sandy kindly smiled and nodded at the girl. Teddy got another bottle from the bag and this time, its bow is green. She handed it to Aster along with a green scarf and the canvas. Of course, the Guardians would peek. Bunny was sprawled on his side on a grassy field. It looked like the observer was flying when it captured the view.

The Guardians noticed that the grass was a bit slanted, as if the breeze took ahold of them. There were purple Aster flowers scattered on the field and Bunny softy smiled. He could easily imagine the breeze caressing him and the sweet scent of grass and Aster flowers wafting in his nose. Teddy handed the green scarf to the Pooka. "I always knew that you don't like the cold so I made you a scarf." The scarf has tassles and initials of Bunny were sewn on the near end. _E.A.B._ was sewn in elegant calligraphy. The rabbit rubbed his nose on Teddy's temple as a sign of love and gratitude.

"And lastly, to Jack." Teddy grinned and handed the boy a canvas and a bottle with a blue bow tied on it. All of the Guardians looked at the painting and teared up. It was not like the other paintings she gave. A red sofa faced its back on the fireplace with a landscape painting hanging above the hearth. Jack was in the middle of North and Bunny, whose arm is around the winter spirit. Tooth hovered beside the Easter Bunny, smiling vibrantly. Upper half of Sandy's head was painted on the corner of the canvas, as if he was the one who took the picture and wanted to get into the scene.

It was a family picture painted on the canvas. They were all smiling happily. They noticed a brown teddy bear with a green bow tied around its neck, sitting on Jack's lap and hugging it. "Teddy..." They all murmured in realization. "I hope you all like my gifts. Merry Christmas everyone." And the girl smiled one of her own. There was a bottle and a canvas left but the Guardians took no notice of it. She was immediately tackled by the Guardians and the girl laughed heartily. "We have gifts for you too." Bunny whispered and they all broke the hug.

North was the first one to give his three gifts! She carefully ripped the wrapper apart and her ever green eyes went wide. It was a book entitled Unrest, written by Michelle Harrison. "North... I waited a year for this book. Thank you so much!" She tackled the man in a hug and they chuckled at her outburst. Teddy let go of the man and opened the next gift. It was a music album. Visions by Imagine Dragons. Teddy then opened the last gift. A handmade plushie of each of the Guardians, including Jack of course.

"North, they're adorable!" Tooth gushed instead of Teddy and that brought laughter into the family. The fairy was the next one to hand her gifts. The hummingbird handed her friend a golden cylindrical container and a keychain. Teddy look at the child's face from the tooth box and stifled a sob. It was not Teddy's but somebody else's teeth. "Tooth. Thank you so much!" She hugged the fairy, easily avoiding the fragile wings. Teddy curiously eyed the keychain. A purple feather hung on the black, sturdy string with a little bell accompanying it. "Ring the bell five times if you need my help." The only female Guardian explained and grinned before backing off.

Sandy grabbed the girl's delicate hand and put a velvet pouch on her palm. Teddy curiously opened the little bag and dream sand glistened like Tinker Bell. The golden man formed a bed where Teddy slept yet she had a pained look on her face and put a X-mark on it. _To ward off the nightmares. _"Thank you, Sandy. I really need this." Teddy hugged the little man and put the pouch inside her duffel bag.

Aster took a step forward and showed a bracelet to Teddy and a brown parcel. "You tap the ground three times and this bracelet will allow you to open a tunnel directed to the Warren." Bunny explained and put the silver-chain around Teddy's left wrist. The accessory has only one pendant. It was an orange stone like the ones attached on Bunny's bracers. When Teddy looked closely, it has the same carving and shape as the sentinel egg from Jack's room key.

"Don't open the parcel yet. The paint might spill." The Pooka warned but smiled nonetheless. "The one you used to paint the eggs?" The little lady exclaimed in anticipation. "Yeh. The rarest of colors." And Bunny felt the girl's arms wrapped around his furry body. "Thank you so much, Aster." She whispered and grinned widely.

Last but not the least, Jack. He had one of those mischievous smiles planted on his face. The girl noticed the tear streaks and grinned. A reminder that Jack felt loved and welcomed. His hands were placed on his back and Teddy felt the anticipation bubbling in the pit of her stomach. The hellion brought out his left hand and placed a rectangular black box on Teddy's palm.

The storyteller slowly opened the said gift and inwardly gasped. A blue fountain pen rested inside the styrofoam. Teddy brought it out and noticed frost intricately curled around the pen. A frosted pen. She knew that it would not simply melt. It was also a reminder that Jack Frost is real. "I know you really love to write stories and draw. It can do both." The boy implied, gesturing at the pen.

He brought his right hand out and Teddy smiled widely at the gift. It was a snow white rabbit with a blue bow tied around its neck, the same color of Jack's sweater. It has black buttons for eyes and it looked snuggly. "I know you're gonna kill me if I'm going to give you a teddy bear so I made this instead." The immortal teen mumbled and handed the stuffed rabbit to his friend. "You made this?" Teddy asked as she eyed the smiling rabbit. "Yep. I got the materials from No–" She tackled Jack in a hug that made him cut off his sentence. "I love it. Thank you so much!"

They had another family hug again before they eat lunch. "I've got an idea!" North suddenly boomed while gripping his chicken leg hard. They all looked up from their plates and stared at the Russian man confusingly.

They all gathered in the living room and North ordered the yetis to remove the sofas and replace it with a red one facing its back on the fireplace. Jack sat in between North and Bunny, imitating the one in the painting. The Pooka slung his arm around Jack and poked the boy's cheek playfully. Tooth hovered beside the bunny and Sandy sat on the sofa arm beside North. Teddy sat cross-legged on the floor, her back lightly pressed against Jack's legs. After all, he can't really let Teddy sit on his lap.

Sandy and Teddy raced to Phil as to whose camera will be used. The girl won and handed the gadget to the yeti's furry palm. The little man pouted as Teddy stuck out her tongue playfully. They went to their positions and smiled at the camera. "Glah, hugla, wed ert." Most of them assumed it was a count to three in Yetish language. A flash went off and a picture was produced from the bottom of the camera. They all had a copy of their first family picture.

* * *

One by one they opened the bottle in their own personal rooms and read the contents. North and Sandy smiled whilst Tooth, Bunny and Jack cried. Their stories were wonderfully written with deep meanings and hidden messages.

They all hung the painting Teddy have given them in their rooms, and in Jack's case, his room in Santoff Claussen. Aster neatly folded the green scarf and put it in his dresser. Tooth latched the belt around her waist as she went out in the field. Teddy sprinkled a bit of dream sand on her head before going to sleep in her room at Burgess. Jack gave one last look at the snow globe, the set of keys, the bottle and the painting before going to sleep.

They had the best Christmas together as a family and it was only just the beginning.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Status: Unedited.

Hey y'all! I finally updated. I'm sorry I'm late but we lost internet connection because the wire was cut so yeah, they need to fix it. The stories Teddy had given them will be extras.

I hope you like this chapter because it took a long for me write it. 17 pages in Microsoft Word, baby! By the way, please check the poll I posted and vote because I really really really REALLY need your opinions.

Teddy's iPod is an iPod classic. Yes, I'm obsessed with Imagine Dragons. Yes, I waited a year for that book. Check it out because it's a really good one! It's my favourite as well! Yes, one of my favorite songs is Heaven by Bryan Adams.

Okay, now you all know why this story is called _Frosted Pen. _

I seriously need a LOT of you to review because it really really really REALLY gives me motivation.

"Read and review!" I hastily typed before the computer was snatched away from me.

Yours truly, Star.


	16. Through Songs

_They had the best Christmas together as a family and it was only just the beginning. _

* * *

Teddy was humming a Christmas song that got stuck in her head. She cleaned the dining table and thank the heavens that her father opened his present. She gathered the dishes and washed them. Her house had been oddly quiet. No teasing banter from her parents, no noise coming from the television. No playing the piano from her mother. Not even Jack's melodic laughter. The silence was deafening.

It's been two days since her first Christmas Day was celebrated with the Guardians. Teddy understood their job. They bring wonder, hope and dreams but why do they stopped giving her _that_? The girl knew that she's already in her teenage years and at the beginning of maturity but she still believes. North said that she's in his Nice list and all, but why stopped? She doesn't need toys or gifts anymore but North could bring wonder to her in a different way.

She lost hope when she was 11 years old so why didn't Aster come to give her just that? She doesn't need chocolate or Easter eggs. Teddy need something or someone to represent as hope. Where was Aster when she needed him the most? The girl knew that there are a lot of children to protect and that she was being selfish but they had a LOT of time to give her hope and wonder.

What about Sandy, hmm? She never had a good dream for the past five years. Just a dreamless sleep or one full of nightmares. Teddy needs a good night sleep and where do you order it? From the Sandman. The girl didn't receive even the tinniest speck of dream sand for the past five years.

She don't want to get started on Tooth but Teddy couldn't help it. The fairy is the Guardian of Memories. Why didn't the hummingbird help her remember? She could barely think of what her mother looks like. Where were the memories she needed in the darkest of times? The Guardians never came to her. They simply dismissed her because she already grew up.

Teddy's train of thought crashed when she felt the water overflowing from the sink. She quickly turned the faucet off and sighed heavily. The girl mopped the wet floor and finished drying the dishes. She turned the lights coming from the kitchen and the living room and there was a pregnant pause. Teddy stared at the dim rooms. There was barely enough darkness since late afternoon just broke but she can hope, can't she? _He wouldn't come._

The green-eyed girl gave one last glance before going to another room. It hasn't been touched for five years and Teddy's pretty sure the whole room is dusty. She got a feather-made brush and white cloth. Teddy grabbed the rusting doorknob and closed her eyes. She imagined herself opening the door, greeted by her mother's gentle smile but there was none of that when Teddy went back to reality.

Only dust and cobwebs dully greeted her. Teddy violently shook her head and made her way inside the room. A dusty piano stood on the center of the room. The interior was a bit huge than Teddy's bedroom. There was a tall window and translucent curtains hang on the dusty golden bars. She pushed the window open, letting winter and sunlight come in.

Teddy started dusting the room. She also got a broom and a dustpan to sweep the rat crap from the tiled-floor. The room was painted with cream that reminded her of delicious-looking pastries. It took a half an hour for the room to get dusted but it was worth it. The girl sat on the red-cushioned stool and closed her emerald orbs, trying to feel the smooth surface of the keyboard.

Teddy never boasted her piano-playing skills. She kept it hidden but when her Music teacher discovered she had _talent, _the teacher forced her to enter in a competition. The girl clearly remembered the delight from her mother's face when she told the news that she would enter the music competition. For her mother's sake, Teddy practiced everyday. Trying to perfect her piece.

The girl eventually won and received a gold trophy. It was hidden in the attic along with many other things that bring painful nostalgia to her. After her sweet mother died, she stopped playing.

She flexed her fingers and started with the basics. Trying to find your significant tone. Teddy pressed an E5 and it resonated all around the room. A nostalgic smile stretched on her face. Teddy closed her eyes and in calmness, played Fur Elise by Beethoven. That was the first song she ever played.

Her mother was so impressed when her daughter played her favorite piece by ear. Teddy imagined her mother's face, her gleeful smile, her enthusiasm to teach her daughter a lot of pieces. Her mother's laugh. The storyteller poured her heart through that song.

Teddy came into an end and sighed, a feeling of peacefulness erupting in her chest. The girl suddenly heard clapping and whipped her head to see Jack Frost leaning on the window with his hand around his staff. "You didn't tell me you could play." The boy feigned hurt but easily broke the act with laughter.

"It never came to me to tell you." Was her simple reply. The winter spirit chuckled, a melodic one, that would make the birds stopped singing just so they could listen. Teddy tapped the empty space beside her and Jack quickly obliged. He leaned his staff on the wall and grinned at her. "You know how to play?" The girl asked with genuine curiosity. "A bit." He answered and gestured at his forefinger and thumb that were millimeters apart.

"Let's try with something simple." Teddy uttered, pondering for a sec. She snapped her fingers and grinned. "A Time For Us by Nino Rota." Jack smiled at the request. He knew the piece because it's from a Romeo and Juliet movie made in 1968. The immortal teen closed his eyes and slowly play.

Like what his friend just did, he poured his heart through the song. He remembered the time when he saved his sister from drowning. His 300 years of loneliness. His duty as a Guardian. Bunny's hurtful words. Teddy's contagious smile. His first Christmas Day with a family. The Guardians' gathered in North's Globe Room. Collecting the teeth. He didn't want to admit but the Guardians had time for him after all.

When the piece ended, he opened his icy blue eyes to see Teddy gaping at him. "Wow." She breathed out. "You're good, no, fantastic." Teddy beamed and gave the boy a smile that clearly states _I'm fucking impressed. _"My mother would definitely like you." And as soon as the words rolled from her tongue, the smile turned into a rueful one.

"Where is your mother?" Jack slipped before he could stop himself. She turned away from him and placed her fingers on the keyboard. Teddy once again closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Jack easily recognized the piece. Sound of Silence by Paul Simon.

The Guardian of Fun closed his eyes and listen as Teddy play the sad song. He could feel the bitterness she enforced in that piece. The grief and the loss. Then came the nostalgic aura, as if Teddy remembered her mother playing the piece. The song ended in a bittersweet melody. "She's dead." Was Teddy's reply after the piece stopped resonating around the room. _Oh. _

Jack never said anything. There's nothing to be said. No pity, no apology, just silence. They embraced it with ease. Welcoming it like an old friend but silence was just, silence. But it comforted them in different ways. "Let's go." The hellion whispered as he tugged one of Teddy's hand. "Let's play one more song. Together." The human girl coaxed and Jack nodded in affirmative.

The boy sat back down and placed his fingers on the left side of the keyboard while Teddy did the same to her right. The girl started and Jack followed with ease. They played Scarborough Fair and they poured their hearts one last time. They remembered the times they spent together. The shared smiles and hugs. The pranks and the laughter. The heated debates and the teasing banters. The two simultaneously smiled, a smile in content. As they pressed the last key, they felt something, a spark of realization. They are falling in love.

"Wow." It was Jack's turn to be impressed. "I know." Teddy informed and chuckled. "We make a pretty good duet." The winter spirit winked and his friend laughed at the gesture. "Yep." _Just that? No more digging deep? _The two both thought. "We're heading to North's right?" The storyteller asked while closing off the lid of the keyboard and pushing the stool back in its cave. "Yep. Wanna fly?" The boy grinned and the girl's ever green eyes glistened in excitement that sufficed the answer yes.

Teddy grabbed her duffel bag and hurtled outside of her house. Jack's wind greeted her enthusiastically and soon, they were lifted in the air. They arrived safely at Santoff Claussen and was greeted fondly by Nicholas St. North. The two grabbed chocolate-chip cookies and hot drinks, and in Jack's case, cold. They lounged in the living room while munching their sweets and sipping cappuccino.

The two bid good night and promised to each other that they would stay in the workshop tomorrow morning to grab breakfast and play the piano in North's music room. Teddy went inside her room and slumped on the floor. The guest room she was staying was just, plain. There was a queen-sized bed, a tall window and furniture but there was no decoration on the wall, just plain wood. She changed into a plain navy blue shirt partnered with baggy pyjama pants.

Teddy sat on the wooden floor and contemplated. The light on the ceiling was turned off, leaving only a bedside lamp brightly lit. "Pitch?" She drawled, both weariness and enthusiasm getting over her body. "Hello, old friend." An English accent bounced off the walls and a man in a slick black coat appeared from under the bed. The shadows were his servants and him, their master. Black hair was combed neatly, not a strand out of place and yellow eyes, like a cat's, stared at her. Grey smooth skin was seen from the dimly lit room. The English man twirled black sand on his hand for pure entertainment.

"Classic. Coming from my bed and nope, I'm not old." She smiled, regardless of the fact that she's with the presence of the Nightmare King. "Hardly. How are you? It's been five years since you left me in the dark. No pun intended." Pitch casually asked as he checked his fingernails. "You know, the usual. Nightmare here, abuse there. And I'm sorry." She stared at the tall man who sat cross-legged in front of her.

"What happened to you?" And Teddy saw the genuine worry from Pitch's eyes. "I got scared of the dark." The girl mumbled, not looking at the gaze of her friend. "You got scared of the dark?" Pitch scoffed in disbelief. "You can't just stop the accident reliving in front you when you looked at the dark now could you?" Teddy retorted and her lower lip jutted into a pout.

"Don't give me that look." Pitch half-heartedly glared as he crossed his coat-clad arms on his chest. "Here. Merry Christmas." The human girl greeted, rather a bit late as she handed the man a bottle with a black ribbon tied on it and a painted canvas. "What is this?" The Boogeyman asked when he accepted the gifts. "Presents." Teddy simply replied and Pitch scoffed in return.

"You're not throwing it away, are you?" Teddy cocked an eyebrow as she looked the man in the eye. "Of course not. I love the painting." The Nightmare King complimented when he eyed the canvas. It was dark. Only indigo and black were used and tad bit of grey and yellow. There Pitch was, standing beside his Nightmare and his cheek was pressed on its snout and his hand rubbing the other side of the head.

"Thanks." She mumbled, blushing in the process. "Although you shouldn't have painted me this. You could have just given me your sketchbook." The man said as he handed both the bottle and the canvas to his Nightmare. "You don't want it?" The girl exclaimed, feigning hurt. "I love it but you shouldn't have wasted your time, Ross." The storyteller just smiled at the Boogeyman.

"So I'm forgiven?" She hopefully asked and Pitch looked at her, up and down, before nodding. "Yey!" Teddy exclaimed and tackled the man in a hug. "Stop harassing me and you're ruining my newly-ironed cloak." Teddy reluctantly let go and sheepishly smiled. Pitch smoothed the wrinkles and huffed.

"You're not mad at me for ignoring you for the past five years?" She asked in skepticism. "I'm used to being ignored and besides, I was plotting for my best comeback at that time." He eyed his friend boringly. "Plotting for comeback?" She echoed, looking befuddled. "Oh. Your Guardian friends didn't tell you, huh?" And Teddy shook her head no. Pitch sighed at her ignorance but she couldn't help it if the Guardians won't tell her.

"I fought the Guardians last year. I stole all of Toothiana's carbon copies. I ruined Easter and I almost finish them because they were weak from losing so much belief but I was defeated by Frost with his puny brat." Pitch explained while gritting his teeth in fury.

"So that's why the children never had any Easter eggs that day. Who's the puny brat?" Teddy tilted her head in a cute manner. "That Bennett boy." Pitch spat like it was poison. It all started with a snicker then doubled over with laughter. The Boogeyman merely rolled his eyes at the sight. "I'm... sorry." The girl managed to breath out as she wiped the tears from her eyes and clutched her stomach.

"You're mad not me?" She asked once more but in a more serious manner. "Why would I be?" The English man asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I'm hanging out with the Guardians after all and with Jack whom you despised." The 16-year-old remarked. "That can't be helped. Frost has a contagious disease." He bluntly replied.

"But it's best if you don't tell them that you're friends with Pitch Black." The Nightmare King warned as he stood up and stretched his arms and legs. "Why not?" Teddy once again pouted. "First, they would kill me and second, they might not think of you as family anymore." Pitch turned his back from her. "Sad but true." She sighed and stood up as well.

"Pitch, stop giving me nightmares!" Teddy suddenly whined. "I'm not. It's not my work. It's your memories." The English man informed. "Geez." She huffed as she crossed her arms on her chest. "Goodbye, Ross." Pitch gave a little wave before snapping his fingers to turn the light on. "Bye, Black." The girl mocked and soon, her friend disappeared in the shadows.

The door suddenly busted open and she shrieked in surprise. Teddy saw North with his two swords in hand and Jack's staff at the ready. "You two scared me half to death." The guest exclaimed as she composed herself. "We felt Pitch's presence." Jack implied as he lowered his staff when no danger approached. "Pitch?" The pecan-head inquired as if she hadn't talked to man moments ago.

"Pitch Black. The Boogeyman." North summarized and put his swords in its sheath. "No matter what happens, stay away from him and if he threatens you, call either one of us." Jack ordered and his friend simply nodded. _Hardly._ If Pitch threatens her, shouldn't he have done that five years ago?

The three bid good night and Teddy retired to her humongous bed after sprinkling a bit of dream sand over her head. After all, she has a limited supply and it's embarrassing if she asked Sandy for more.

* * *

Pitch twirled the black sand on his hand while seated on his throne-like chair in his living room. He was still there, in Teddy's room, hiding in the shadows and listening to the trio's conversation. He must admit, Teddy is a good actress.

Why haven't he threatened Teddy before? Why indeed. Maybe it's the fact that she is his first believer without getting scared at him and that she has the personalities of his daughter that he rarely sees.

The Boogeyman snorted before retiring to his own bed.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

I super duper love this chapter! And Pitch makes an appearance! Nope, he is not the villain of this story.

Hope I didn't made Pitch too OOC. You already knew the reason why Pitch befriended Teddy and why he didn't despise her after she became chummies with the Guardians. If you missed it, scroll up a bit and the answers are there.

Yes, my first ever played piece is Fur Elise. I fell in love with it the first time I heard of it which is a long, long time ago. I rarely play the piano anymore so I'm a bit rusty.

I sprinkled a bit of angst on the first part. I really love writing this chapter. I completely and utterly enjoyed it.

Only 4 voted in my poll and I still need your opinions so please vote. I really really really REALLY need your help!

Yes, it did boost my enthusiasm so please please please PLEASE review a lot MORE. Thanks very much! Yes, I'm a desperate, crazy woman.

"Read and review." Teddy simply grumbled as she went back to sleep.

Yours truly, Star.


	17. Secrets Revealed

Teddy's winter break slowly fades away. Each day were devoted to playing the grand piano. She managed to play every piece she knew or learned. From _Moonlight Sonata _to _Canon in D. _Jack would always be there by her side, either listening silently or they would do a duet. They smiled, laughed and enjoyed each other's company.

One day without Jack's presence, something would surely go terribly wrong.

Teddy was once again playing _Fur Elise. _She closed her green eyes and pour her heart through the song, as always. The pianist heard soft clapping when she pressed the last key. Teddy could feel a mild wave of deja vu coursed through her body.

She opened her eyes to see her father clapping his callused hands while leaning against the doorframe. Teddy searched any facade masked on her father's face, smelled the stench of unwashed alcohol but she founded one. And for the first time in five years, Mr. Arthur Tyler got out of his drunken stupor.

"Always as brilliant as your mother." He complimented and stretched his arms wide open, offering a hug. There are no tears to be shed but complete and utter relief to be felt. Teddy rushed to her father's arms and she was engulfed by a father's protective embrace.

"Hey sweetie." Arthur greeted after missing out five years of his daughter's life. "Dad." She barely whispered. He led his daughter to the kitchen and Arthur made his special hot chocolate for the both of them. "How've you been?" Teddy casually asked as she sat on the kitchen stool near the counter. "Always working." He replied and they both chuckled.

Teddy knew that that's not the only thing her father has been doing. "I have great news, Teddy." Arthur exclaimed happily as he placed two cups of hot chocolate on the counter. "What is it?" _What is it, _indeed. A promotion at work, maybe? He swears that he would make up his five years of abuse? He realises that he should change for the sake of his daughter?

Teddy's long train of thought crashed when Arthur cleared his throat and widely grinned like a fool. "I met this most amazing girl…" He started to blabber cheerfully but Teddy only tuned him out. Teddy stopped toying with the rim of her cup. _Amazing… girl? _She should be happy that her father finally moved on but why, of all times, now?

Why not last year? Why not when she was only 12 years old? Why now? Teddy stared at her bandaged hand and her father noticed her healing wound. "What happened?" Arthur inquired and got ahold of her hand, making her winced in pain. Before she could answer, Mr. Tyler cut her off, "Are you doing self-harm?" The girl's eyes were wide as saucers. That's what he thought? _Self-harming? _

"No!" She harshly declined and recoiled her hand from his firm grasp. The wooden stool fell on the floor when she stood up and backed away from her confused father. "Why are you doing this to yourself?" Her father worriedly asked as he stepped toward, so cautious so that he wouldn't frighten Teddy.

"I did not do this! You did!" She retorted and step backward, heading to the living room. "You abused me!" Teddy angrily blurted out and ran away from her horrified father. "I would never hurt you! You're my little girl!" Arthur defended, trying to catch up with his daughter. "But you did!"

Teddy grabbed the doorknob (courtesy of Phil) and went inside her bedroom. She securely locked it and grabbed her black duffel bag. She tossed random clothes and a pair of pyjamas. She also grabbed her velvet pouch of dream sand, the snow white rabbit, her precious frosted pen and Tooth's bell.

The girl slung the bag on her torso, imitating a cross body. Teddy tightened the shoelaces of her black Converse and covered her head with a hoodie. "Teddy, open the bloody door!" Her father coaxingly bellowed and persistently pounded on the door. He tried twisting the doorknob, but to no avail, it won't turn. The girl glanced at the door and opened the window, feeling the winter breeze greeted her.

Arthur kicked the door open, breaking the locked doorknob. He saw her daughter crouched down on the window sill and before he could scold her for doing something reckless and dangerous, she jumped to Arthur's complete horror.

He ran to the window and looked down but saw nothing. Teddy wasn't lying or standing on the ground. She disappeared like she was never really there at all. As if she was just a mere ghost.

–o–

Teddy thought she had gone insane, completely bonkers, mad. Because she jumped off the window, her own window! Everything turned into a slow motion, like when the hero jumped off the building in a movie. She thought that this is how she is going to die but she didn't, because Jack Frost is there to catch her.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The winter spirit angrily exclaimed when he lowered both of them on the ground. "Now is not the time to have bedtime story. Hand me your snow globe, quick!" Jack jumped in surprise at her sudden panicking but handed his own personalised snow globe.

"Santoff Claussen." Teddy hissed under her breath and threw the snow globe ahead. The fragile-looking orb returned to her hand after it opened a magic portal. "Come on!" Teddy snatched the boy's cold hand and they hastily went through the portal. It easily disappeared, leaving no trace on the snow-covered ground.

* * *

E. Aster Bunnymund had arrived in Santoff Claussen via tunnel. He didn't know his true purpose for coming but he had a feeling that something extraordinary is going to happen. Waiting for that _extraordinary something_, he ventured through the maze of hallways. Bunny never really explored the workshop because he is always busy with his googies or worrying about Pitch's devious plots, Jack's pranks and Teddy's well-being.

He never admit it to others but he had this sudden want to protect and smother Teddy at all times. Of course that would be unusual but he felt a bond fused inside his soul. Bunny never really thought of Teddy as his mate but as something else. Something that he couldn't exactly pinpoint at the moment but he would be happy if he answer his own question in the future.

Aster felt something in the air and grabbed his boomerangs from his bandolier. He position himself in a fighting stance and waited. And waited. And waited. A multi-colored portal opened a few feet away from him and he cautiously waited for someone or something to come out.

Teddy fell face first on the floorboards while Jack toppled over the girl's fallen figure. He could hear a groan rolled out from Teddy's throat as Jack's body fell on her back. Bunny closed his gaping mouth and returned the weapons to his bandolier. A few seconds ticked and Bunny suddenly clutched his stomach while guffawing loudly.

The two teenagers glared at the Pooka but said nothing. Bunny almost fell on the floor from laughing at the embarrassed children. "Ya should ha' seen yer faces!" Bunny exclaimed cheerily as his laughter died down into snickers. "Very funny, Kangaroo." Jack once again glared at the bunny and stuck out his tongue.

The winter spirit removed himself from Teddy's back and sheepishly help his friend sit up. "Geez. You're heavy." Teddy playfully teased as she fixed the collar of her shirt. Her eyes suddenly went wide and thrust her hand inside the clothing. She touched her bare neck, as if trying to find something lost.

"Damn you, Frost. If I lost it, I'm going to…" Teddy never had the time to finish her threat when Bunny suddenly brought up a ring. There was a silver chain looped on it, making it a necklace. It was a thin band of silver and square-cut amethyst adorned the ring with tiny diamonds surrounding the gem.

Aster noticed words engraved on the interior of the ring and squinted his spring-green eyes to be able to read the words. The words were written in an old language, older than Jack and Teddy. Bunny spoke it out loud, tasting the familiarity of his native tongue. "What did you say?" Jack inquired, tilting his head in cutely manner.

"He said, _My heart and soul are forever yours._" Teddy translated as she stood up, looking flabbergasted that the Easter Bunny knew the language. "You're speaking Bunny's language?!" Jack exclaimed in shock. Teddy covered her mouth as realisation dawn to her. "Aster..?" She whispered and a few tears suddenly blurred her vision.

"Are you okay, Teddy?" The winter spirit eyed the crying girl. "I'm… fine. You should go ahead. I'll catch up with you." Jack was about to protest but obliged because of the firmness of the girl's order. The boy flew to the kitchen, leaving the two alone. "You're… You…" Teddy stuttered before taking a cautious step forward.

Aster looked at Teddy's tear-stricken face and his heart clenched. "Is yer mother's name, by any chance, Celia?" Teddy did the best she could do, she nodded in affirmation. Bunny dropped the ring and he could hear the loud thud as it collided on the floor and rolled to Teddy's Converse clad feet. A few seconds passed by and Teddy tackled Bunny into a hug.

The Pooka happily returned the gesture, nuzzling on the girl's neck. "Yer…" But Bunny could not finish. The girl nodded and hugged the Pooka harder, if that's even possible. They broke the hug and simultaneously chuckled. Bunny picked up the ring and put it around the girl's neck. "I can't believe you're you." She laughed at her idiocy. Why didn't she see it before?

"Well, ya can't really easily believe that E'm yer mom's lova?" Bunny stated, ruffling the girl's hair. "It just clicked inside my head. Your name is Aster. You're an Australian and a chocolatier because you are the Easter Bunny." She happily smiled at the rabbit. "My mother once told me that if I really want to find her Aster, I just have to show the ring," Teddy subconsciously touched the amethyst, "because he is only one to read the words engraved on it!"

They paused from walking and Teddy released a sigh of relief. She had found her mother's Aster and she doesn't care if he's a bunny! Teddy once again tackled the Pooka into a hug that made them both fell on the floor because of the impact. Bunny easily sat both of them up and he rubbed the girl's back when he noticed she started crying.

"I can't believe I found you. After all those years… You were just under my nose. And this time, I'm never going to let you go." The words muffled on Bunny's furry chest but he smiled as he easily comprehend it because of his keen hearing. "Oh my God!" Teddy suddenly exclaimed, the words echoing in the four corners of the hallways that will surely attract Yeti attention or worse, Frosbite's.

"What? What happened?" Bunny worriedly asked as he grabbed Teddy's shoulders and looked at her in the eye. The girl vigorously shook her head and grinned like a fool. "If my mother didn't choose Arthur, you could have been my father." That sentence haunted Aster's life forever and broke his heart into a million tiny, microscopic pieces.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

A marvelous cliffhanger! Had a hard time writing this chapter but it was worth it (insert evil grin here) Hunt me if you think it's a filler chapter.

Hope you noticed my updating pattern. I update after three days and if I'm late, that means I caught writer's block.

I hope you wouldn't mind if I ask 4 to 5 reviews every chapter. It's okay if you don't follow it but it would be a LOT to me if you do.

"Read and review!" Tooth bubbly called out as she waved at all of your retreating figures.

Yours truly, Star.


	18. Epiphany of E Aster Bunnymund

_That sentence haunted Aster's life forever and broke his heart into a million tiny, microscopic pieces. _

* * *

It has been proven that when North feels something in his belly, it would most likely to happen or come true. A woman's intuition is one of the many powers Tooth had required and it's sharper than a sword and more deadly than a poison. Aster doesn't believe in all of their sixth senses. He's a bunny and more down-to-earth, shall we say. But today, today he has been proven wrong.

He had a feeling that something extraordinary would happen today so he came to Santoff Claussen because this _feeling _is leading him there. That _feeling _dragged him to the hallways and so he obliged and roamed around. If he didn't trust this feeling, if he didn't went to the workshop, if he didn't obliged and roam around in the hallways, then he most certainly wouldn't know the truth.

There's a lot of _bad _things to happen if he's been stubbornly practical. He wouldn't see Teddy and Jack arrived in the workshop through a portal. He wouldn't notice the ring roll to his feet and he wouldn't certainly pick it up. He wouldn't see the message engraved on the ring and he wouldn't certainly meet the daughter he never had.

Bunny fell in love with a human, once upon a time. They were thick as thieves. They spend a lot of times together, they did a lot of things together. He's there for her and she's there for him. Sometimes, she would muse about having a family with Bunny, even if that's the most craziest thing to happen on the face of the Earth.

Celia would always talk about names and babies. She said that if she had a girl, she would name the little baby, _Teddy_. If she had a boy, she would name him, _William. _But Celia picked Arthur instead of Aster. Bunny was devastated, torn into two. He tried reasoning to her, everything he could to get her back but Celia only tuned him out. No one knew why. Not even her daughter knew the reason. But Aster had a suspicion, a guess, an opinion that he would never voice out loud.

That drove Aster to make a decision. He would never get in the lives of the Ross family, or in the present, Tyler. He would never get acquainted with another human being. He would forget about Celia Ross and her beautiful smile, her nimble fingers, her beautiful brown hair, her eyes the shade of dark green, her piano-playing skills, her everything. He banished Celia out of his life.

Then the walls suddenly crumbled apart. Bunny got the news that Celia died in an accident that left her daughter motherless. Bunny's heart torn into two more pieces. The Warren was at its grimmest that day. He decided to go to her funeral. He saw the men lower her coffin down. He saw everything. The black clothing, the dull weather and little Teddy. He was at the back of the crowd, leaning on the a tree planted on the cemetery.

He noticed that the girl was strong. She was the only one who never shed a tear because Bunny knew the little girl shed enough already. The crowd soon disperse when they covered Celia's coffin with dirt and mud. Even the girl's father left her for her mourning. Bunny hopped beside her and stood with her. He was so devastated that his lover died and the daughter he never had had lost hope.

Bunny clearly remembered the sudden pitter-patter of the rain and Teddy's stifled sniffs. She wearing a simple black dress that day, with matching black flats, white stockings and a black coat. She was gripping something on her chest and Aster noticed that it was the ring, the promise ring he gave to Celia. The girl suddenly lunge towards him and hugged him and comforted him in the ways only a child could do. Bunny tightened his arms around her and they sunk on the ground, mud clinging onto their bodies.

He never expected the child to notice him, to touch him, to hug him, to cry over him but that's not what matters. The girl fell asleep on his chest and he carried her to her room. He gave her a kiss good night and smiled a bittersweet smile. If Celia was married to him, he could give the little girl good night kisses any time. The Pooka departed and never to return to that abode.

Five years later, he wanted to thank Jack Frost. If it wasn't for Jack Frost, he would never meet Teddy for the second time. At first, he didn't believe that _this_ Teddy is Celia's child but his suspicions were confirmed. It all started with the looks. Teddy and Celia were almost like twins, sisters. Although, Teddy's hair is a dead giveaway because it's in a lighter shade of brown, a mixture of brown and gold. Next was the eyes. They had the same shade of dull green. They had the same glint in their eyes when they're mischievous, know something others do not know about, happy, sad.

And then it ended on the name. _Teddy Ross. _That sent a lot of messages down Bunny's spine. Ross is Celia's maiden name. Celia wanted her daughter to be named _Teddy. _Once his suspicions were confirmed, he swore to protect her with all his life. That's when a bond was fused inside his soul. He never thought he would experience that bond-fusing in his entire life. Pookas can tie bonds, whether with mates or with families.

Bonds are special for a Pooka. When two Pookas bonded, they would feel their mate's emotions, discomforts and whatnot. They're united as one soul, one being. But it's different with a family member. Family bonds are not invasion of one's privacy. They could not feel one's emotions and discomforts but something else entirely. Pooka could feel when their family are in danger or hurt, a twinge in the chest or nagging sensation in the back of their minds. When a bond is broken, it means that someone had died and it cause a lot of pain to the living one.

Bunny grinned like a complete fool. The answer was right under his nose all along. He had answered his own little question. If he felt a bond fused between him and Teddy, there's one explanation for that. Teddy is family. She's the daughter that he never had but this time, he would look upon her as if she is his real daughter. As if she's Celia and Aster's offspring.

Aster nuzzled on the crook of Teddy's neck. "Yeh." He simply agreed and it made Teddy burst into tears once more. Bunny noticed another thing from Teddy. She was broken. She had been completely keeping this all inside. She was a great actress. She tries her best to act normal as possibly as she could. Teddy needs a family. She needs affection. She needs the care of a father. She needs someone to fill the missing gap of a mother's love. Aster was there to fill it all up. He would never, ever let her go.

Teddy broke the bone-crushing hug and gave a watery smile to the Pooka. Bunny smiled one of his own and he stood up, helping Teddy as well. She dusted off the grime from her jeans and had a contagious smile plastered on her face. "Let's go to ta kitchen. I think ya need somethin' warm to cheer ya up." Bunny grinned and lead the way to the kitchen.

He saw the winter spirit perched on the countertop, drinking cold cocoa. Bunny ushered Teddy to the boy and Jack eyed her worriedly. That's another thing Bunny had noticed. Jack won't admit it to himself but he fancies Teddy. Aster was the one who saw the littlest of details. He isn't the only observant one among the Guardians, of course.

Jack had this smile. A smile that was only for Teddy. Not a hint of mischief, smug, sarcasm or anything else. A pure, happy smile. Jack had increasingly become worried about Teddy. He would constantly ask if she's alright, hurt or anything that would discomfort the girl. Teddy never noticed this but Jack seemed to blush every time he had physical contact with the girl. He would blush at the simplest of touches. A brush of hand, a poke on the cheek, a hug, a tap on the shoulder, anything!

The winter spirit loved everything about Teddy. Her smile, her laugh, her nimble fingers, her piano-playing skills, her pecan-colored hair, her green eyes, the way she read, the way she paints, the way she tells a story, everything. Bunny could see his and Celia's younger selves on them. "Hey, Kangaroo! When are you going to stop ogling there?" Aster's _loooooooooooong_ muse shattered into a million, tiny pieces when Jack's voice penetrated his ears. Teddy chuckled when Bunny shot the boy a death glare but nonetheless continued with what he's doing.

He grabbed a pair of mugs and filled it with cappuccino, a type of coffee that Teddy loved so much. He handed the cup to the girl and she bashfully thanked. The trio sat on the stools placed beside the counter. They all sipped the warm beverages and hummed in pleasure. Bunny eyed the girl and he could see the delighted look on her face when she tasted cappuccino. He brought out a satisfied smirk on his face and brought down the cup.

"Now that you're here," Jack said in his own little way when interrogating someone out, "can you please tell me why did you jumped off your window?" Teddy sheepishly gulped and Bunny choke on his own saliva. "Ya jumped off from a two-story house?" Bunny exclaimed and the girl awkwardly laughed. The two men were chewing her out. "I might have panicked a little." She tried to explain and chuckled edgily. "Glad I was there to catch you. What do you wanna say to your knight in shining armour, eh princess?" The immortal teen playfully teased and in return, Teddy laughed a bit.

It's Jack's way of easing the tension, and sadly, his way of flirting as well. Bunny could easily see that from the winter spirit. He may not be an open book but the boy leaked some emotions. "Geez. A knight," Teddy scoffed in disbelief, "more like a twig so to speak." Bunny pounded his paw on the counter and guffawed loudly. Jack's face a sight to see. He looked completely horrified. Gladly for Jack, he took it as a mere joke.

While the _father and daughter _continued to laugh, the winter spirit formed two snowballs and thrust it on the duo's faces. Their bodies went rigid and Bunny angrily wiped the melting snow from his face. "That does it." He shouted and got the boy with his hoodie. Teddy laughed at the sight and followed them. Jack struggled to get out of Bunny's grasp but the Pooka has a death grip.

They went towards the entrance of the Santoff Claussen, catching a few confused looks from the yetis. Bunny threw the boy face first into the snowbank and grinned triumphantly. Jack easily regained composure and threw another snowball and it hit Bunny's crotch. The Easter Bunny yelped and glared menacingly at the boy. The Pooka formed a snowball on his paw and before he could throw it, another ice-cold ball hit his furry tail this time.

Bunny yelped once again and turned around to see Teddy snickering slightly , tossing a snowball into the air and catching it with ease. "Did you know Bunny, I joined our baseball team a year ago?" The girl had a smug smirk on her face but Aster easily wiped it off by throwing the held snowball on her face. "I can't believe yar forming an alliance." He spoke when the two stood side by side.

The two teenagers devilishly grinned and Aster clearly knew that he's going to get lost with this particular snowball fight. Jack was the first to land a blow, on Bunny's forehead to be exact. Aster only grinned and hit Frostbite on the chest, knocking the breath out of the winter spirit. He then hit Teddy on the head and laughed his own head off. Soon, they're having a intense snowball fight. No one doesn't want to back out that easily.

Inside the workshop, three extremely amused Guardians were watching the snowball fight from North's office window. "Wow." North breathed out. "I know." Tooth smiled lovingly at the sight. "It's been years, thousand of years since we saw Bunny that happy and carefree." Tooth pondered out loud and Sandy nodded in agreement. "All thanks to two tricksters." The Russian man grinned at the sight. They could all hear the laughter coming from the three childish people outside.

"It's been years, indeed." Sandy formed the sentence above his head and the older trio continued to watched the rest of their family have a heated battle of snowball throwing outside the workshop.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Unnecessary OC fact: _Celia _is an anagram for _Alice. _It was supposed to be a joke since Aster is obviously a rabbit and well, you get the idea.

Hello everyone!

I'm having a hard time writing the next chapter. Do you have any suggestions? Do you want to still see a drunk Arthur or turned-to-normal Arthur? Do you want to know who is the new villain? Do you want to see the outcome when Teddy jumped off the window or Teddy get shot by her drunk father? PLEASE answer these questions so I know what chapter to write next. I know you've been waiting for the action right now and the next chapter would be just that but do you still want to see the events I asked above? Tell me, please.

Read and review, my dear readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d, or just plain lurking in the shadows. And don't forget to vote in my poll, thanks!

Yours truly, Star.


	19. Arthur's Spark

_Read the answers to your reviews before proceeding to the chapter. _

_Capirkl– Hi Capi! Thank you for liking my story. Hmm, a happy ending? Will there be one? (insert evil cackle here) There would be a villain, alright. He's gonna make his appearance on Chapter 21, I'll make sure of that. Hope you like this chapter!_

_EmeraldRhino– Something awful would definitely happen to Teddy and this chapter is one of them. The next one would be a tad bit extreme and hopefully it would turned dramatic. Thank you! I actually enjoyed writing Bunny's point of view._

_Xion5– Hi Xion! You should really review more because your enthusiasm and predictions make me smile. About her being a spirit, I'm not going to spill anything._

_Leila– Hi Leila! Thank you very much and hope you continue reading and reviewing!_

_Chocolate Spirit– Thank you and I really love your pen name, btw! Might be a good plot bunny in the future hihi. Oh yes! Romance! I'm such a klutz. I forgot about that. I'm so focused on just giving hints and fluff that I wasn't able to write full blast romance. God! That's the whole point of the story. Thank you for suggesting it. There will be romance in the future chapters but for now, read some action and fluff. Bear with my forgetfulness. Enjoy!__  
_

_LittleRedRiddingWolf– Thank you for suggesting it! It really helps and hope you enjoy this chapter._

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Teddy groaned at the loud noise that is disrupting her sleep. She thought that someone is gurgling their mouths beside her ears. It suddenly went louder and Teddy grabbed her side pillow, using it to cover her ears and the sudden brightness. _Is it morning already? _She opened her eyes and blinked, trying to clear her blurry vision. She could see the interior of her room and nothing seemed to be amiss.

Teddy groaned again when the gurgling-like and added hissing noise interrupted her awakening. She covered her ears to block that gurgling noise. A lot of complaints started to form in her mind as she untangled herself from her blanket and got out from her bed. That's when she noticed two men, both standing up on ladders, bringing up what seem to be security bars and screwing it through the house's wall.

"Morning, Miss." One man greeted cheerfully and proceeded to his work. She glared at the both of them and stormed out of her room. She trudged down the stairs and went straight to the kitchen. Her father was there, drinking coffee from his mug and reading today's newspaper. The way she stomped on the floor alerted her father so when Teddy came face to face with Arthur, did he lowered the morning paper.

"You seemed to have returned from your little adventure." The man said monotonously. "What are those two men putting in front of my window?" She glared menacingly and crossed her arms on her chest. "Honey, it's for your own safety." He explained regretfully. _"My own safety?" _The girl irritably mocked. "You jumped off a window!" Her father pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the bubbling anger in the pit of his stomach.

"I came back alive!" Teddy retorted, flailing her arms in the air to make her point. "Not from the front door!" Her father stood up from his seat and glared at his stubborn child. "I won't let anything happen to you! I promise that to your mother!" It seemed like Arthur added oil to the fire. "You fucking _promise_? Newsflash, Dad, you abused me!" She stomped on the kitchen floor before running to her room.

Arthur sighed and fell back to his seat. He cannot comprehend what his daughter is telling her. He would never, ever abuse his daughter. He would literally kill himself if he would.

–o–

Teddy draw the curtains and grumbled under her breath. She cannot believe her father would put such a _thing _in front of her window. Teddy grabbed random clothes from her closet and swung her bathrobe on her shoulder. She exited the room and went to the bathroom across the hall, locking it so no one would accidentally barge in while she bathe.

Teddy stripped off the night clothes and went into the shower and closed the translucent curtain. She turned the water's temperature to lukewarm and rinse the imaginary dirt from her body. The girl rinsed and scrubbed while humming a song of her own. Teddy dried herself and put the newly washed clothes on.

A dull teal zip-up hoodie hung loosely on her frame and a white t-shirt with the words _Loser _printed on it hid underneath the winter clothing. She wore a pair of jeans and tightly tied the shoelaces of her white high-cut Converse. Teddy disposed the previous night's clothes in a hamper and went back to her bedroom.

Teddy combed her wet hair but suddenly remembered Jack. The boy does a nicer job than her. She put the brush back to its original place and blankly stared at the mirror. She saw her reflection from the mirror. A girl with pecan-colored hair, green eyes that does not sparkle, chapped lips, huge black bags under her eyes and pale cheeks.

Teddy frowned at her lips. She grabbed a colorless Chapstick and applied some. Teddy pocketed her smartphone and her wallet and went out of the room, down the stairs and out of the front door. She never bothered saying goodbye to her father, just grabbed her own set of keys and get the hell out of here!

Her feet wandered off, not a destination in mind but she somehow managed to end at the exact park where she and Jack met a couple of weeks ago. She swung open the gate which erupted into its usual creaking sound. Teddy leisurely strolled and ended up in front of the swings. She sat on the same spot where she saw a boy with uncanny white hair and blue eyes that night.

The 16-year-old girl swung to and fro, ignoring the couple walking around and the children merrily running about. She let her mind wander to places not even the likes of her wander. Teddy imagined herself being a brave warrior, fighting alongside Aragorn and Legolas. She imagined herself as a witch, defeating the trolls and dark wizards invading Hogwarts. She imagined herself as a demigod, daughter of Athena, training in Camp Half-Blood. Her mind went to various places.

From Narnia to Wonderland. From Middle-Earth to the land of Oz. Teddy sat side by side with the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Andersen, thinking of various fairytale ideas to tell to the children. Teddy roamed around the arena, representing District 11 for the 70th Hunger Games. She laughed alongside with Barney, Ted, Robin, Lily and Marshall. She hung out with Joey, Chandler, Phoebe and the rest of the gang. She solved various mysteries with Fred, Daphne, Vel–

A cough crashed her wandering thoughts to the ground. Teddy looked very startled from being disrupted. She came eye to eye with none other than, Jack Frost. She grinned a ecstatic grin. There is something about the boy that makes her heart and a thousand raging butterflies in her stomach want to take a flight. "JACK!" She addressed and the winter spirit just laughed, walking towards her.

"Heya, Boobear." The boy equally greeted with much enthusiasm. Jack took a step backward when Teddy tackled him with a hug. He heartily laughed and happily returned the gesture. "Something wrong?" He asked as he unawarely nuzzled on the crook of her neck. "I want to have a trip. Somewhere far away from here." She whispered dreamily. "You're just in luck." The girl removed herself from her friend's shoulder and confusingly eyed said friend. She could clearly see the mischievous glint in his mesmerizing sapphire blue eyes.

"We're going?" She asked, rather sounding like a child. "You bet." The boy grinned playfully, still not letting go of his arms wrapped around the girl's waist. "Where?" Teddy sounded like an excited 5-year-old and Jack was blessed to see the look on her face. "Verona. Milan. Germany. Russia. London. California. Paris. Japan. Alaska. You name it!" Jack stated a list of cities and countries and Teddy's smile grew wider and wider until it could not grow another inch. "Let's go, then." She said in a trying-to-be-calm voice.

"Hey Wind," The boy shouted and the ever loyal friend ruffled their hairs before lifting them off into the air. "Take us to London!" And the wind gladly did so. Teddy saw the London Eye, the Big Ben, the buildings and various shops. She waved at the Statue of Liberty, gazed from the Empire State Building, visit a lot of temples, tasted a lot of delicious-looking pasta. They sat on top of the Eiffel Tower, tried to angle the Leaning Tower of Pisa, peeked at the Colosseum, see Mona Lisa, sneak up in an old theatre, and much, much more.

The two had a trip around the world that only lasted for 20 minutes or so, a handful of time to enjoy the view and get mesmerized at the cities and countries. They had so much fun together and the two wouldn't exchange it for the world. Soon, by the time the clock strikes ten, did Jack returned Teddy to her house. He was supposed to drop Teddy off via window but only to see the bars blocking the entryway.

"This is why you're upset, right?" He spoke so quietly that the wind engulfed his words. "Yes." She simply answered. Jack glared at the monstrous thing and tried to ice it all over and shatter it to a million tiny pieces but it needed a lot of energy and time and even though he wanted to, Jack didn't want to collapse because of this. "I hate this!" He shouted as he lowered them both to the ground. "I know." Teddy agreed and glanced at the security bars.

"I felt like a prisoner, a caged bird. I felt like my freedom has been brutally stripped away from me." She sadly implied and stared at the pale orb that adorned the sky. "Those bars is keeping you away from me." Jack murmured and Teddy looked utterly stunned. He turned around to face Teddy and put a downhearted smile on his face. "That thing is keeping you away from me. I felt like someone caged a big part of me and I could never have it back."

Before Teddy could answer to Jack's heartwarming message, a car door was slammed shut. "That's my dad. I better get inside the house." She smiled, regret evident in her dull green eyes. "Good night, Jack." Teddy softly said and momentarily hugged the boy before jogging towards her front porch. She flashed a thankful smile to him and disappeared inside the house.

The smile dropped from Jack's face and looked at her barred window. He decided to fly up to say good night to her before heading to another direction.

–o–

"Where are you?!" Arthur bellowed, scanning every nook and cranny of the house. "Hi, Dad. I'm back." Teddy entered the house and closed the door behind her. "You," Arthur pointed out, grabbing a fistful of Teddy's hair. "you're an ungrateful little brat!" He shouted and dragged her upstairs. Teddy noticed and smelled it. The menacing glare and the stench of beer. _He's been drinking again. _

"I fucking hate you!" He shouted, his voice full of boiling fury. "You look a lot just like your bloody mother!" Arthur angrily bellowed as he harshly let go of her. Teddy terrifyingly whimpered as she cowered on her bedroom door. She trembly twisted the doorknob and went inside her room and locking it. She saw Jack's horrified look and desperately trying to destroy the bars that kept him away from her.

"Teddy, don't you dare!" He warned the girl and she ruefully smiled. "I'm going to be fine. I can handle this. You go ahead. Go to Bunny's place. I'll meet you there." The girl tried to reassure her friend but Jack kept trying and trying. "I'm going to kill you, bitch!" Someone's voice screamed from behind the door. "You're not going to die." He grabbed Teddy's hand from in between the bars. "Nope. I'm going to live and you're going to Bunny's. Now, go!" She pleadingly ordered.

The winter spirit had the hesitant look on his face but turned around, to bolt to Bunny's doorstep. Before he could do it though, the door was smashed and his eyes went wide as saucers. "Dad, listen to me. You said that you're not going to hurt your daughter. I'm not mom. I'm Teddy, your daughter." She tried explaining but when Arthur pointed a .45mm gun in front of her face, did she shut up.

"Listen to me, bitch. You remind me a lot of your mother. It hurts, you know, and the best thing not to get hurt is to eliminate the one causing the pain and it's you. I hate you! You fucking look like your mother! I hate you! Go and die, brat!" The world went into a slow motion. Jack desperately tried to break the bars and Teddy cannot escape the inevitable. Arthur slowly pulled the trigger and narrowly missed Teddy's heart.

"NO!" Jack's voice could have been heard around the whole town or state. He could see blood, blood on the floor, blood on the window ledge, blood sipping on Teddy's teal hoodie. Arthur grunted and went out of the room, unmerciful as always. "Teddy, listen to me. You're gonna be fine. Ple… ase don't die." Jack stuttered as he grasped the girl's hand from in between the blasted bars that kept him from saving Teddy, from protecting her.

Teddy could feel pain, a sheer amount of pain. It was immensely hot. Her vision easily blurred and she cannot understand what Jack is trying to say. She put her hand on her shot chest to stop the blood from flowing. She gasped in pain. It was a searing type of pain. It was worse than getting your leg broken. Teddy didn't noticed that she had fell on her bedroom floor. White and black and red spots appeared in her line of vision and she groaned. She screamed and screamed, to stop the pain from coursing through the rest of her body.

"Hu..rts." She tried to get out from her mouth. "I… I know. Hang in there. I'm going… to get Bu–nny." Jack got ahold of his snow globe and chugged it out in the air. He gave one last panicked glance at Teddy before going through the portal. Teddy moved to her side and she knew it was a bad idea. She gasped, her breath knocking out from her lungs. It hurts. Now she could hear ringing and voices. "Bunny's place." The echoing voice said.

She wanted the pain to leave. It was like a ten thousand kinds of needles harshly poking her body. She tried to understand what's happening around her. She knew she needed to go to Bunny's place. With a sheer amount of determination, she wobbly stood up and hissed loudly in pain. One of her eyes was tightly closed as she stumbled with her feet, making her lean on the wall. Pain. That's all she could ever feel.

The girl tapped the ground thrice and a hole appeared underneath her. It swallowed her whole and she slid down through the twirls and turns of the tunnel which made her cry in anguish. The ride only made the pain twice as hot. Teddy felt the grass pressed against her cheek and she managed to sighed in relief. _This is a good place to die. _The pain numbed, much to her relief and horror. Teddy knew that she's slipping away. Teddy flashed a smile, a tired but relieved smile and darkness took ahold of her.

–o–

Bunny was so focused in painting his googies that he didn't notice Jack appeared in front of him. "BUNNY!" The winter spirit shouted but the rabbit took no notice. He was so engrossed with his work or just plain ignoring the prankster. Jack is most likely here to bother him so he tuned the boy out by pressing his ears on his cranium.

Bunny won't listen to Jack's desperate pleas. The boy grew irritable and grabbed the bunny's shoulders and violently shook him. "What the fuck, Frostbite!" The Pooka inquired, glaring angrily at the said frostbitten child. "TEDDY HAS BEEN SHOT BY HER FATHER!" Jack had screamed at the top of his lungs, the indication echoing inside the whole Warren. Aster's heart stopped beating for a millisecond. "What did ya say?" The Pooka dumbly asked but they both knew that what Jack had said doesn't need to be repeated.

The Easter Bunny suddenly stood up, letting go of the half-painted egg and the paint brush. He was about to tap the ground twice to open a tunnel designated at Burgess when he suddenly smelled a copper-like scent_. _He started sniffing and knew that it was _blood. _He started to panic and ran in all fours, Jack following suite. The immortal teen knew that Teddy must have entered the premises of the Warren by now because it had Bunny all riled up.

They easily spotted a bundle of teal that somehow could be mistaken for Tooth but Bunny knew all too well. Everyone had a unique scent and Teddy's is a mixture of vanilla, caramel and cappuccino and a hint of mint (from hanging out with Frostbite too much). The two sprinted in the fastest way they could and if someone had a stopwatch, they probably had broken the world's top record.

They approached Teddy and noticed that she's already unconscious but thankfully, she's breathing, rather faintly. Her pulse had gone weak and her breathing hitched when Bunny gently picked her up.

Teddy's blood had tainted the Warren's grass. They wasted no second as Bunny tapped the ground to open a hole headed to the North Pole. North's medical yetis are far more professional than that of Bunny. The trio jumped in and they could hear one of Teddy's anguished moan before completely disappearing without a trace.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

I should probably hide because I actually gave you all a marvelous cliffhanger. This chapter was supposed to be a whole major event but well, I'm an evil writer.

All of you should really review more because well, you all make me smile. Read and review my dear readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d and those who are lurking in the shadows (Pitch is such a bad influence). Please vote in my poll, I'm begging you all. _Words Coming to Life_ is in the lead so vote, vote, VOTE!

Yours truly, Star.


	20. Final Exit?

_DayDreamer425– Breathe, breathe. Here's a virtual glass of water and the next chapter. Enjoy!_

_snowflake2606– Keep reading and reviewing! Enjoy the chapters!_

_EmeraldRhino– Oh God! I could already imagine myself going "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! IRELAND, WHY? OH, WHY?" Here's the most awaited chapter. Enjoy!_

_Chocolate Spirit– Thank you for reviewing and here is the next chapter! Sadly, no but I so badly wanted to read Artemis Fowl. I really like that kind of stuff but I don't have the time because I'm always busy or just plain procrastinating, hehe._

_LittleRedRiddingWolf__– I hope you didn't lose it because here it is! _

* * *

North's medical yetis did the best they could do to stop the bleeding and get the bullet out from Teddy's chest. All of the Guardians sat in the Globe Room, looking distraught and anxious. They should be in the infirmary, giving Teddy moral support but they could not bear to see her paler face and hear her faint breathing. So they dwell in their thoughts in the Globe Room.

A creak was heard from the infirmary door and all of them simultaneously looked up from fiddling their fingers or biting their lips. It was supposed to be a funny sight but Teddy wasn't there to laugh merrily at them. The four medical yetis looked at each other, sending secretive messages to one another. The furry creatures all nodded and look at the Guardians straight in the eye. They all shook their heads.

Dread sat on the throne in the Guardians' minds. One thought echoed in their ears. _Teddy is dead. _The first one to got out of their stunned stupor was Bunnymund and he ran in all fours towards the infirmary. Jack soon followed the Pooka's actions and disappeared inside the room where Teddy's death bed is located.

The rest of the Guardians looked at each other and all they could do is followed suite. They pushed the door open to see Bunny and Jack looking guiltily at the pale girl. They knew that their fellow spirit, Death, would come here sooner or later.

"No, no, no, no, no." Bunny whispered the word all over again. They knew that Aster is in his breaking point. He hugged Teddy's limp body and sobbed on her shoulder. The rabbit cannot believe that her lover's daughter is dead. He didn't make it in time. They were all too late. Jack grabbed the girl's hand and chastely kissed it. "I'm so sorry." The winter spirit mumbled and a frozen tears slipped from his eyes.

"Did you try everything to revive little girl?" North asked, anger located at the edge of his voice. The four yetis nodded vigorously and left the Guardians to lament at their lost family member. Everyone was terribly heartbroken.

… _HOLD ON!_

_Stop reading! Stop, stop, stop! Now, now people. Kill me later but here is the real chapter. _

* * *

Light. That's the first thing she noticed. A sudden burst of light. _Am I dead? _A groan rolled out from her tongue and opened her eyes wearily. Teddy blinked a couple of times before her vision cleared. She was in a different room this time. The ceiling was made out of wooden boards and the texture of the bedsheets was oddly different. Teddy slowly sat up and could feel a sudden jolt of pain in her chest.

The girl noticed someone gripping her right hand. A cold one. She saw Jack uncomfortably slept on his free arm as his back arched. His grip tightened when she moved, as if Jack doesn't want to let her go. "What a sight to see." An English accent filled the air. "Pitch." She gritted her teeth so that minimal sound would only be produced. "Greetings, Ross." The girl rolled her eyes at her friend's mocked politeness.

"I see you alive and well." Pitch's voice drawled from the shadows. He didn't want to reform, seeing as all of the Guardians were sleeping in the same room. "Thanks, I guess." She awkwardly whispered and let a grin plastered on her face. "Don't thank me, thank the two of them. If it weren't for them, you would be dead by now." Pitch implied cockily. One of the Guardians stirred and Pitch quickly disappeared into the shadows and escaped.

"Ted… dy?" Toothiana whispered as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Tooth stared at her awaken friend for a while, trying to comprehend everything around her. Tooth blinked a few times in order to test if this was just a mere mirage or not. The fairy inwardly gasped and now grasped reality. Now fully awake, she suddenly fluttered in front of her friend and squeezed the air out her lungs. "Not… too ti–ght. My… chest hu–rts." Teddy tried to wheeze out and the fairy eventually let her go.

"Everyone, WAKE UP!" The Tooth Fairy screamed at the top of her lungs and everyone bolted upright from the rude awakening. Teddy cocked an amused eyebrow. She didn't knew that Tooth had such power in her lungs to have shaken up the entire Santoff Claussen. The rest of the Guardians were half-asleep, trying to sink the events in their minds. Everyone tried to rub the exhaustion from their eyes.

The first one to break out from their trance is Bunny. He openly cried and let out a sound of utter relief. He hopped beside Teddy's bed and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. The next one was Sandy and the little man grinned like the Chesire cat and popped little fireworks over his head. North regained his composure and laughed boisterously and gently pat the girl's back that still managed to take the 16-year-old girl's breath away.

Jack was the last one and he looked rather shocked and in a moment of disbelief. He basked in Teddy's appearance. She was pale and looked extremely exhausted but nonetheless, happy that's she alive and breathing. Jack went out from his stupor and tackled his friend which accidentally hurt her chest and her breath dashed away from her lungs once more. The boy sheepishly let go after receiving a bark of scolding from the overprotective Pooka.

"What happened?" Teddy asked after she ate the broth Tooth had handed to her. It was kind of awkward, the Guardians watching her eat her meal. "If it vweren't for Bunny and Jack, you're probably be…" The Russian man trailed off and looked away. "Dead." She blatantly continued and all of the Guardians flinched. Teddy coolly sipped her broth as she listened to their explanation. "The yetis were the ones to get the bullet of out your chest and stopped the bleeding." The fairy distressfully informed and Teddy only nodded in affirmation.

"How long was I out?" The injured girl casually asked as she put the empty bowl and spoon on the silver tray. The Guardians glanced at each other, as if agreeing to something secretly. "Three days." Jack answered her and Teddy noticed guilt from his eyes. "I… Oh." She breathed out and suddenly felt guilty for making the Guardians worry.

"Ya had a major blood loss 'n we needed someone ta donate 'n North volunteered." Bunny crossed his arms on his chest and gestured at North. "Cool. I have Russian blood." Teddy tried to ease the tension and luckily, it worked. The Guardians tiredly chuckled at the light joke while thanking MiM that Teddy is back to her normal self. "Thank you, North." The girl sincerely said and smiled at the Cossack. Santa laughed and hugged the girl.

"We thought you're going to die." Tooth suddenly blurted out and the air tensed up again. The atmosphere went gloomy and Teddy could feel she was drowning and getting suffocated. "Arthur almost killed you." Jack ruefully muttered. "The bullet narrowly missed your heart and it almost punctured your lungs." Tooth glumly explained.

_Bunny and Jack appeared in the Globe Room where North was found. He was sitting on a recliner and munching on some cookies while staring at bright lights flickering on the globe. "NORTH!" Bunny shouted and the Russian turned his seat around to see Bunny covered in Teddy's blood. He unceremoniously dropped the cookie and bellowed at the top of his lungs, "MEDICAL YETIS!"_

_Four yetis went to their boss's aid and was stunned to see a bloody Teddy and Bunny. They carefully took Teddy from the Pooka's stubborn grip and brought the unconscious girl to the infirmary. Jack followed suite and Bunny was about to do the same as well when North grabbed his shoulder. "Clean blood first, my friend." And for the first time, Bunny didn't argue and simply obliged._

_North soon called the remaining Guardians via Aurora Borealis and a panicked Tooth and an alerted Sandy appeared before him. "Is something wrong?" The fairy threw a panicking question and North simply lead the two Guardians to the infirmary. Tooth started to imagine the worst-case scenarios. Who's hurt? Is it Jack? Is it Bunny? Is it Teddy? And she got her answer before she could ask anyone._

_They stared as the yetis tried to get the bullet out of Teddy's chest. Bunny and Jack were already there, looking extremely worried at the girl. Teddy was very dear to the two of them, to all of them. She looked so pale from the amount of blood loss and all Tooth could do is cry at Sandy's shoulders. The whole Santoff Claussen turned gloomy as the yetis did their best to stop the bleeding and get the bullet out. It took them two hours before they finished the job and reported to North._

_"Yetis said Teddy is still unconscious but with pulse and air in lungs." The Russian man explained in broken English and all they could do is agree with the information. They soon transferred Teddy to her room while Tooth shakily changed the blood-soaked pants and bra to a baggy sweater and pyjama pants the other yetis had sewn._

_They took turns in visiting Teddy's sleeping body and all they could do is brush the hair away from her face and grip her hand, feel her pulse and hear her breathing. They soon gave up with turns and all of them would visit and stayed quiet inside Teddy's room for the rest of the night._

_Unbeknownst to them, Pitch is watching from the shadows as well. Worried about Teddy's well-being too._

"Please, stop." The Guardians looked up to see Teddy pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Please, stop," She repeated again and looked at them happily, "I'm just glad that I lived and that I would see your faces again. I am grateful for what you all did. I'm not going to die and that's final. Please stop dwelling in the past." The Guardians looked stunned and suddenly tackled Teddy in a group hug. She heartily laughed, feeling the warmth of her _family_'s embrace. "A–ir!" The squished teen wheezed out and they all apologizingly chuckled.

Soon, they all disperse and went outside the guest room for Teddy to get enough sleep but a certain stubborn winter spirit left behind. He suddenly rushed to Teddy's side and gently hugged her. "I thought I'm going to lose you." He started and the girl patted her friend's back. Sandy had secretly told her that Jack was the most worried among them (aside from Bunny, of course).

The boy would stay up late just to wait and see if Teddy is going to wake up. He would constantly brush the hair covering her face and would whisper sweet-nothings on her ears. He would continuously checked if she still has a pulse or if she's still breathing. He would never let go of her hand and would stay by her side so that when she wakes up, he would be the first one to see.

"I wasn't able to protect you. I'm worthless." The boy choked and stifled a sob. "It's not your fault." Teddy whispered back and painfully hugged Jack back. "I'm here now and that's what matters the most." Teddy reassured and the boy hummed on her shoulder. They stayed like that for a while until Jack decided to let Teddy rest. "Please, stay. I know that nightmares will come." And Jack smiled and stayed. He turned off the lights and laid beside Teddy.

She placed her arm around Jack and snuggled on his hoodie clad chest. "I'm going to protect you." He whispered and put his chin on her head. "Hmm." Was her only reply. "I'm not going to let you go." Jack reassuringly whispered and kissed Teddy's forehead before returning to his original position. "I know." And that's all what matters.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Hello. I think I'm going to receive a lot of threats so I better hide. So, do you like this chapter? The next one will be evil-ish (in my opinion). Clue, what comes into your mind when I say _an old tragic love story? _That's the only spoiler.

Hey guys, I was wondering if maybe after I finish this story, I start a fic entitled _Extras from Frosted Pen? _Will you read it? It's just stuff that didn't appear in the story and random, (hopefully) funny stuff. I will not start this proposition if a lot of people will not review and read it. Lastly, people you should really review and vote. Review because it makes me smile and vote because it will help me in the future. My classes start on June 14 so I better finish this before or on that date.

Read and review my readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d, and those who just lurk in the shadows. Thank y'all! Also, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

Yours truly, Star.


	21. Three Full Moons

_Guest__– Thank you very much! Yes, you're correct. Romeo and Juliet is the answer. Here is the chapter and __thank you for the suggestion. Enjoy!_

_Xion5– Thank you! Teddy being a spirit? You'll see, you'll see._

_LittleRedRiddingWolf– Thank you and whew, thank God! Here's the chapter!_

_DayDreamer425– You're welcome! "Forever in your service," hmm? (insert devious cackle here)_

_capirkl– Hi Capi! Thank you very much and whoops! I tend to scare people half to death. I think your review is unfinished but oh well. Enjoy the chapter!_

_Chaosguardian13– Yey! Someone is actually interested. I hope it's going to funny though. You should really review more because you make me smile. You may murder Arthur as you please but about Pitch, Jack and Bunny? You'll see below. I'm planning on putting the whole event in the Extras. Thank you for the suggestion. Enjoy!_

_EmeraldRhino– I get it! You're welcome and yes, for now (insert evil laughter here). I hope this is evil-ish enough. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Romeo and Juliet or any of William Shakespeare's works. _

* * *

After some persistent pleading, Teddy stayed another day in Santoff Claussen. Everyone was so worried that no one wants to let her out of their sight. The six of them had a short meeting on the day she's going to return to Burgess.

"What are you going to do with Arthur?" Jack asked, looking annoyed. "I'm not going to tell him that he shot me." She replied casually and everybody glared at her. "What?" Teddy exclaimed when she noticed the glares they are shooting at her. "Are ya insane?" The Pooka angrily exclaimed. "We don't want you to get hurt again." The fairy sadly informed. Sandy formed sand obscenities above his head while North pulled his white beard in frustration.

Teddy sighed, knowing that they don't understand what she's implying. "You don't want to be gone, right?" The Guardians all solemnly nodded. "Here's the thing," The girl started, slowly pacing in the Globe Room. They could see her flinch once in a while. "if I tell the police that Dad shot me, what would happen?" No one answered her. "He would go to jail, right?" They all simultaneously nodded.

"What would happen to me? I'm a minor so they would either send me to a relative who doesn't even care if I existed or to a foster home which is miles away from Burgess. Do you want that?" The Guardians looked stunned and they merely shook their heads. "Figures. So there is nothing I can do but lie, which is the hard part." She sighed heavily and winced when she felt a jolt of pain in her chest.

Teddy, along with Jack escorting her, return to her room via snow globe. Jack closed his eyes tightly when they saw Teddy's dried blood on the floor. She guided Jack to her bed and let him sit down. She got a clean rug and a pail of water and started scrubbing the blood from the floor, from the wall and from the window bars. It soon easily disappeared and Jack sighed in utter relief.

Teddy went downstairs and was tackled by a hug. She stiffened and felt another jolt of pain in her chest. "Dad." The girl softly whispered. "Where have you been?" The man worriedly asked as his hug tightened around her. "From a friend's house." Teddy smoothly lied. "Why is there blood all over your room?" Arthur asked when he let go of Teddy.

The girl let a sigh of utter relief, the pain subsiding. Now comes the hard part. _How__ is she going to lie? _"I have a large gash on my chest. I was so clumsy. My friend found me unconscious on the floor and took me to his house to treat my wound. I was unconscious for three days and I returned today." Lucky enough, Arthur bought the lie. Although, he kept asking about her _savior _and where his house located and where did her chest got hit.

"His name is Jack and he lives around here. Please don't ask where. He's very, very shy and only talks to me." The last question about the chest was never answered but Arthur didn't mind. "Send my gratitude to him." He smiled and pat the girl's shoulder. "Will do." She simply replied and dump the dirty water in the sink.

* * *

The seconds ticked by and before you know it, hours had passed by. Those hours turned into days. Day and night visited everyday and months faded away.

Jack and Teddy were physically inseparable, after the gunshot incident. They would get into a lot of heated debates to whose answer is correct. Have snowball fights at night. The two did just about everything they could do. The only time they spend apart is when Jack did his Guardian duties and bring snow around the world.

Mr. Tyler had become normal, saying goodbye to those drunken years. Teddy received a proper scolding about one should not jump off a window or do something dangerous. The girl secretly smiled, thanking the gods above that her father was finally free from his alcoholic prison. The girl even pleaded to let the men remove the bars. After a week of thinking, Arthur decided that his daughter is all grown up and can take care of herself. The bars were out of sight.

Arthur was actually courting his officemate. He won't stop talking about her and he promised to Teddy that she would eventually meet his girlfriend. Teddy was happy that her father moved on and stopped questioning about the wound on her chest. She doesn't need to talk about it anymore.

There was a time Arthur got home, looking dirty one of those January days. Bruises on random parts of his body. There's some colourful paint splattered on his white collar shirt. Black sand mixed with frost covered him as well. Instead of worrying, Teddy laughed for a long span of time. She very well knew who the culprits were but she's not one to tell.

New Year's Eve was pretty normal to Teddy. He had fireworks with her father and visited the Guardians when Arthur retired to bed. They had a lively party and everyone had fun. Until they had the countdown. They were all standing on the balcony while the yetis light the fireworks below.

North kept staring at his gold pocket watch while Tooth, Bunny and Sandy conversed. Jack and Teddy enjoyed the comfortable silence around them but North easily disrupt it when he declared it's one minute till midnight.

10 seconds till midnight, did they start the countdown. "10... 9... 8..." The Guardians merrily chanted as the hands of the clock slowly made its way to number 12. Jack took Teddy's hand and they quietly went inside.

"5... 4... 3..." The countdown drifted off when Jack leaned in and kissed Teddy on the cheek. "Happy New Year, Boobear." He lightly teased and squeezed her hand. "Same to you, Snowy." She replied softly and felt the tingles on her kissed cheek and the butterflies in her stomach. The two both blushed which caused them to miss the fireworks display.

Valentine's Day had been normal to all of them. Unless you count Jack and Teddy practicing Romeo and Juliet lines, normal.

Teddy had a faint smile on her face and knocked. She waited for three minutes before a Russian accented voice answered, "Come in." Teddy turned the handle and the door swung opened. The girl gasped at North's work. "Is that what I think it is?" Teddy inquired, looking flabbergasted. On the man's table was an ice-carved Hogwarts. Every tower, every window, every crevice, North carved it all.

Teddy giddily bolted inside and eyed the ice model. She saw the Quidditch field where the three taller hoops were protruded from the ground. Each of the bases of the houses was there as well, beautifully angled and carved by Nick. "This is so beautiful!" Teddy complimented and smiled at the proud man. "_спасибо_, my girl!" The man ruffled the girl's hair and fixed his working table. "What brings you here?" North amusingly asked and checked the school.

"Oh!" She exclaimed when she remembered the true purpose of coming in North's office. The Cossack cocked an eyebrow. "I was wondering if I could go inside the library?" Teddy bashfully requested. "My dear, you're welcome and so you could use rooms in workshop." The man happily informed. "Thanks, North! You're the best!" Teddy gave the blue-eyed man and sprinted out of the room.

The 16-year-old let out a triumphant whoop and headed to the haven of books. She easily located it with the help of her not-so-sharp memory. She sniffed the smell of old books and felt at home. There were bookshelves backed away on the wall, reaching all the way up to the ceiling. Tall, wooden ladders leaned on the bookshelves and lots and lots and lots of books and journals adorned the wall.

A large carpet adorned the floor and couches, chairs and desks were scattered around the gigantic room. There were also three chessboards set on a circular table and two chairs facing at each other. "I want to live here." She murmured to herself as she neatly placed her duffel bag on the side of the couch. Teddy looked determined and started.

–o–

Jack was humming a random songwhilst heading to his designated room. He often twirled his staff in his leisurely stroll. He could hear the soft padding of his footsteps as he walked his way through the maze of hallways. He came across a room where murmuring could be heard. It caught Jack's attention and he quietly pushed the door open.

"_But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief. __It is my lady. Oh, it is my love. Oh, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?" _Teddy spoke while frowning and glaring at her script. She sat down on the couch and kept muttering, "Why do I have to be Romeo?"

_"Ay me!"_ Teddy whipped her head around to see Jack smirking, coaxing for her to continue. _"She speaks! O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night!" _The girl grinned and eyed the winter spirit playfully. _He's going to say the famous line of Juliet Capulet! "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet." _The bot said, his faint memory guided him to speak the words.

_"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" _Teddy grinned, her script lay abandoned on the couch. _"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. _

_O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee take all myself."_

Soon, they started to throw lines at each other and they would expertly answered. The two mustn't have noticed because the four Guardians had heard their playful acting and quietly crept inside the library. Sandy held his video camera and Polaroid at the same time while Tooth can't stop swooning at the Act Two of Romeo and Juliet. North and Bunny were smirking, completely amused at the two teenagers.

_"I will not fail! Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I shall say good night till it be morrow." _Bunny knew that line too well. He knew what's going to happen next. Teddy slowly cup the winter spirit's cheek and leaned in. They both heard a cough and backed away from each other. Teddy turned around to see all of the Guardians' amused faces.

"You videotape that?!" The girl exclaimed and Sandy only grinned. "That was marvelous! It's been years since I saw a good Romeo and Juliet actors." Tooth sighed dreamily and fluttered around the duo. "Why are you practicing Romeo's lines, anyway?" Jack tilted his head, looking curiously at his Romeo.

"Well… We have a play at school and we're doing Act Two. There have been a lot of fights around the group so we decided to draw a lottery. I got Romeo." She sheepishly implied and never met the gazes of the Big Five. "Yer a shiela, mate." Bunny groaned at the idea. "Yeah, but our director or _group leader_ said that there will be no backing out so we're stuck with our roles. Fortunately, Juliet's a boy." Teddy awkwardly chuckled and remembered the surprised faces of her group mates.

"IDEA!" North bellowed and grinned like a mad fool. "I'm going to make Teddy's costume. This is gonna be so great!" The man happily informed and twirled around, doing a happy dance. Before anyone could sink the information in their minds, they heard a loud thud. Everybody whipped around to see Teddy fainted. Anyone would have acted that way because of North's enthusiasm and crazy ideas. The Guardians merely wished Teddy luck.

* * *

March easily knocked on their doors and Jack was rarely to be seen. He wanted to bring the best and last snow to all of the children in the world before spring started to bloom.

The month of March was Teddy's downfall. Teddy was standing on her back porch, admiring the snowflakes Jack created. Each of the snowflake had its own unique design. Thought and made by Jack Frost. She giggled lightly, catching snowflakes on the palm of her hand.

The girl noticed something yellow growing from the ground. She crouched down to see a small sunflower sprouted from the earth. Odd. She softly touched its petals and suddenly it burst into flames. The ashy remnants of the flower fell on the ground where it sprouted and a burnt paper appeared from the soot.

Teddy curiously picked it up and read the message written in elegant calligraphy. _"Stay away from Jack Frost or you'll pay the price."_ A chill went up her spine. Someone just gave her a threat. She eyed the message, traced the golden strokes of the letters and frowned. Who could have given her this threat? Someone who fancies Jack Frost, maybe? Someone who wants Jack dead? Teddy gasped at her guesses.

She stuffed the paper in her pocket and never mentioned it to anyone. She had been very cautious because she felt someone is staring at her from afar.

March was the last month of her schooldays so she did her best in studying for the exams. Jack was there for her, helping her with such complicated explanations and equations. Teddy had been guilty about not telling Jack about the threat but she didn't want to be a burden to the young spirit.

Before the day of her exams, she received another threat. It came from the hearth of their house. She was mesmerized at the fire while drinking hot chocolate when it suddenly spit something from its fiery mouth. Another burnt paper. It has the same calligraphy and the threatener used the same gold ink. _"You'll regret being with the Guardians."_ Her eyes welled up with tears that time but pocketed the paper and carry on with what life is throwing at her.

Teddy passed all of her exams and she visibly relaxed but the threats are still weighing her down. This caught the winter spirit's attention. Jack kept asking Teddy if she's alright and she would simply nod or mumble an answer. This kept bugging Jack. He noticed the black bags under her eyes and asked her once again. She turned unresponsive this time.

Teddy soon received another threat that haunted her days and nights. It was brought to her by a fiery red salamander that ended on her windowsill. Once she got ahold of the paper, the salamander burst into flames and disappeared into thin air. _"I'll come and get you."_ The note said and Teddy cried herself to sleep this time. Teddy decided to consult Pitch about this.

She knew the location of the new opening of Pitch's lair. It recided beyond the outskirts of Burgess, hidden around a patch of scary-looking trees. Teddy grabbed her coat and scarf and headed to her destination. She could feel someone spying at her and so she quickened her pace. Teddy could see the outskirts of the town and her heart screamed in utter relief. _Too early. _

A whip lashed out to grab her ankle and she lost her footing. Teddy whipped around to see a pair of golden eyes and thought it was Sandy but it was not. The creature had a menacing stare and before she fell into unconsciousness, she screamed at the top of her lungs. "PITCH, HELP!" And Teddy disappeared from the ground where she fell.

Pitch felt a chill went up his spine and a scream echoed in his entire lair. _"PITCH, HELP!"_ He knew that voice too well. Teddy was in danger. He went out of his hole even though daylight is glaring at him. He hissed at the sudden brightness but made his way through the outskirts of Burgess. He saw nothing amiss but something caught his sharp eyes.

Teddy's scarf. Pitch quickly grabbed it before the wind took it away. He saw the black burns on the fabric and his grip tightened that made his knuckles white as Frost's snow. One thing was set in his mind. He needs to find Teddy immediately. Pitch cannot afford to lose the carbon copy of his daughter.

–o–

"Teddy!" Jack energetically howled when he plumetted himself in Teddy's bedroom. It was unusually empty and he found it odd. The winter spirit explored the whole house and found nothing, not even one golden strand of Teddy's hair. He coursed around Burgess but Teddy is still missing. He shrugged it off and went to the North Pole.

Two days had passed and still, Teddy hasn't come back yet. Arthur had fled to the policemen's aid to find his missing daughter. Arthur said that there is nothing wrong for Teddy to run away like that, leaving without any note. That extremely worried Jack. He went back to the North Pole in urgency and ordered St. Nick to call all of the Guardians.

Of course, North argued because it's three days away before Easter and Bunny doesn't like being disturbed. Jack had gone irritably enraged and shouted, "Teddy is missing!" That had made North went in a panicked frenzy. He used the Aurora Borealis to call the Guardians. It is used only when something important had happened or someone is in dire need of help.

All of the protectors went into panic mode as they flew, ran, transported to the North Pole respectively. Their minds started to think of the worst-case scenarios. Is Pitch plotting for revenge? Jack had been captured by Pitch? Someone is badly hurt? Pitch took Sandy from them again? Their minds were in a whirlwind of negative thoughts.

The Guardians all arrived in North's workshop at the same time, Bunny being the last one. "Oi! This betta be importan' because it's three bloody days away befor' Easta'!" The Pooka specifically glared at North. If looks could kill, North would be disintegrated by now. The man shakily gestured at the winter spirit which made Bunny's glare's intensity increased. Jack glared back at the Easter Bunny with the same level of ferocity and it look like the boy is about to burst!

"I don't care if today is bloody Easter but hell would break loose if we didn't find Teddy in time!" He said in a stern voice that no one thought of hearing. Jack is full of mischief, laughter and fun so they didn't expect the boy to be this enraged. "What?" Tooth inquired and she cowered when the boy shot her an icy glare.

"TEDDY IS FUCKING MISSING!" He bellowed that blew the Guardians' minds away. One, they didn't know that Jack could shout that loud and two, Teddy is missing. That made the Guardians went into another frenzy.

Soon, they ALL calmed down and sat in the Globe Room. They were all anxious and their minds were in another bath of negative thoughts and worst-case scenarios. "How are we going to find her?" Tooth said in distraught. "I don't know." Jack simply replied. They all heaved a profound sigh that would definitely create a mini tornado. "Sniff. We're goin' to sniff her." Bunny suggested and all of them nodded. That's the best plan they could come up with.

At around midnight, they deployed into the air and teleported to Burgess. Bunny hopped inside Teddy's room. He sniffed and sniffed and it made Jack grew anxious. "I could smell burns. She was ther' in front of her dresser 'n' exited ta room." The Guardians followed their Hope bringer and everyone halted when they reached the outskirts of town. Bunny sniffed once again and pointed at the ground.

"She fell ther' en someone picked her up. I could faintly smell it." The Pooka said and sniffed for the assailant's scent. "It teleported but I could still smell ta scent." He informed the rest and all of them were holding their breaths.

"Describe the scent, for MiM's sake!" Tooth shrieked at Bunny which made all their eyes went wide as saucers. Tooth never had an outburst like that, except for talking about blood and gums. "Crispy. Somethin' burnt. Scent of sunflowers and odd smell of salamander." The Pooka warrior mused. Jack gasped and quickly hyperventilated. He knew! Jack knew! He knew who it was! He knew who brutally ripped Teddy away from their lives!

"I... I know." He stuttered while trying to catch his breath. "Who?!" The fairy shouted the word in front of the boy and Jack flinched at the harshness. North took notice of this and cautiously grabbed Tooth's shoulder. After all, Tooth's mother mode is a dangerous Tooth. "A summer spirit I encountered a long, long time ago." They all gulped. A winter spirit's worst enemy.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Hello everyone! I really had a hard time writing this chapter. I wanna slam my head on a wall. About the Romeo and Juliet lines, I cut some part because it would take a lot of space. That part is based on my experience. I was Romeo in our school play and God, it's embarrassing! We're also Act Two.

Remember last time, I mentioned I would write _Extras from Frosted Pen? _Are you still up with that idea? If you have anything to clarify, please review here and I'll answer it through PM. The next chapter will be pure evil (insert mad laughter here).

Read and review my dear readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d and the ones who keep lurking in the shadows. Vote in my poll, PLEASE.

Yours truly, Star.


	22. Stolen Nightmares

_JackFrost'sGirl__– Jack can be very persuasive. Sorry about that. I don't tend to stick with only _she _and _her. _Thank you and keep reviewing!_

_DayDreamer425__– You better be (insert evil laughter here). Enjoy the chapter!_

_EmeraldRhino__– You'll finally meet the summer spirit in this chapter. I can't contain my excitement as well. Oh cool! I wanna play the angel part or one of the kings, hihi. Yey! You're interested too! I hope you stay tuned. Enjoy the chapter!_

_capirkl__– It's my pleasure to give you chapters. That's alright. Sometimes, I accidentally post the review without finishing it. Thank you and here is the next chapter!_

_LittleRedRiddingWolf__– You'll meet the summer spirit today. Enjoy!_

_XxSaphirezxX__– I miss you! You should really review more, Sap! Nope, it most unlikely for Pitch and the Guardians to join forces even though they have the same purpose/goal. Even though Pitch ask for repentance, it would take a long time for the Guardians to forgive him, especially Bunny. I'm sorry. Enjoy the chapter!_

_Chocolate Spirit__– Thanks! And bring my family back because here is the chapter, hihi._

* * *

The assailant splashed a glass of cold water on Teddy's face. It took a minute before she shaken up from her unconsciousness. "Whu?" She incoherently asked. The girl's dull green eyes were bleary and almost glassy. "Wake up!" Someone shouted and shook her shoulders. The joints rattled violently and Teddy screamed in pain.

The awakener let out an amused laugh and that's when Teddy focused her gaze on the capturer. The boy, or rather man, was in his mid-twenties. He has spiky yellow hair and menacing onyx eyes. The man wore a yellow tunic with a brownish-orange scarf around his neck. A necklace with a sun pendant feebly dangled on his chest. He wore a black belt around his waist with a sheathed dagger strapped on the side. The tunic was partnered with brown pants and yellow sandals.

The capturer is very handsome but after all, looks can be deceiving. He lifted his left hand and idly slapped her damp cheek. Teddy noticed a detailed sun with a cheeky face tattooed on the back of his hand. She glanced at his right hand and an ancient name was written on the back. "You're beautiful." The man complimented and Teddy hissed at the touches he gave on her face. "You're the one who gave me all those threats." It was not question but a statement and the man's onyx eyes flickered in affirmation.

"You wouldn't listen." The man purred and smirked lustfully at her. "From the looks of your face and your attire, it seems that my capturer is a summer spirit." Teddy implied, rather smugly. She wouldn't back off with this scoundrel. "Smart little girl." The hand lowered, tracing her jawline. "Don't touch me." She hissed and tried to move away from him, only to find out that her wrists were cuffed and the chains were screwed on the wall. Teddy was dangling away from the floor.

"I'll stop but you won't resist me for long." The man withdrew his hand and smirked devilishly. Teddy let out an unladylike snort and rolled her eyes. "I'll be back." The summer spirit turned away and sauntered to the door. "Can you at least tell me your name?" The girl retorted at the retreating figure. He turned around to show the same devilish smirk on face and looked amusingly at her. "We're at a first name basis, huh? My name is Aelius." And the spirit disappeared through the door.

"What a pervert." That's the only thing she managed to say at the moment. The girl observed her surroundings and noticed that the room she resided in was empty, except for a few doors hinged on the wall. A round table stood near her but there was nothing on top of it. There was a dusty fireplace but no fire crackling. Teddy noticed that she was all alone. The girl also noticed that her shoulders might be dislocated from hanging like that in a long span of time.

Aelius came back, looking smug. He was holding a velvet pouch and making his way to her. "What is that?" She questioned the man. His smirk only seemed to grow wider because of her inquiry. He got a dirty silver key from his hidden pocket in his tunic and floated upward, to remove the cuffs from her wrists. Teddy unceremoniously dropped on the cold, hard ground and groaned painfully. She immediately sat up, not wanting Aelius to look upon her as vulnerable. Thick, red marks were around her wrists and she hissed in annoyance.

The summer spirit helped her stand up, like a gentleman would do but Aelius was very far from that. A gentleman would never, ever hang her on the wall like some painting. He grabbed her hand and clasped his fingers around hers. Teddy tried to recoil but the man had a death grip. It almost look like they were a couple. Aelius led her in front of one of the doors and the metal entrance automatically swung open.

The room was empty, dark and musty. She could see nothing and fear already started creeping up on her. Teddy's mind was shrieking and there's a possibility her physical body would do too. Aelius harshly pushed her in the dark room, the gentlemanly figure easily disappeared. The man opened the pouch and Teddy gasped in horror. Nightmare sand filled the soft fabric.

"Where did you get that?" She desperately inquired when he got a handful of it. "I stole it from Pitch Black." He smugly smirked again and tossed the sand on her head. She started to feel dizzy and weary. Teddy slumped on the cold ground and fell backwards, sleep succumbing her consciousness.

Aelius let out a triumphant laugh and closed the metal door behind him, locking it in the process. He's so going to enjoy this. The girl's screams were music to his ears. Aelius went back to his personal room, leaving the girl deal with her upcoming nightmares.

* * *

_She's humming happily, her little feet swinging to and fro. She's in the front passenger seat of the car they were riding. Her mother was to collect her father from his office. It was very late and her father couldn't drive no more so her lovely mother volunteered to get him. She turned on the radio and flicked through stations and stations. She found a gentle, melodic song and stared dreamily at the dim road._

_Her father's office is far away from Burgess. He needs to cross two towns before reaching the main city. Her father works as a fashion model manager of a big company. They were well-off but that isn't something she needed to boast to her friends. She had a good few of them but none of her friends still believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman and Jack Frost._

_Jack Frost was her personal favourite. The story always fascinated her. It's about a boy who really loves winter. He loves to set up pranks and play tricks. He made the children in the world happy with the use of his snow and ice. She loves winter and today was the start of it. The song still played softly from the radio. She was now humming along with the tune and her mother chuckled lightly, not averting her gaze from the road._

_That's when the little girl noticed slippery ice trickling from somewhere. Jack Frost's ice. Her mother always told her that Jack's ice is beautiful. It twirled and turned, looking like fragile looking ferns. A trail of ice formed on the way ahead of them, where a few moments before there had been nothing and she could see the panicked look from her mother's eyes. Her mother was unable to avoid it._

_All started to move in slow motion. Her mother unbuckled the seatbelt and protectively wrapped her body around her daughter's. "Don't lose hope, sweetie." Was the mother's last words. She could still hear their car crashed on a lamp post._

_She could still see the world rolled around. She could still see her mother's unconscious state. She could still see her mother's blood trickling from somewhere. She could still hear the song say, "The angel will die, covered in white." She could still see the slippery ice that brought them into this._

_Then everything went black._

* * *

_She could hear battle cries and desperate pleas. Her eyes slowly opened and she could see… rabbits. Anthropomorphic, gigantic rabbits. Some were throwing boomerangs and spears at her but she could easily block it with a black scythe. Her dull green eyes went wide as saucers. She never wield a weapon like that. She swung the blade tainted with blood and fur and hit another rabbit with such force._

_She could hear bones cracking and she seemed to be pleased and cackle devilishly. She tried to stop herself from killing anything in her path. She tried to release the scythe from her hands but she could not. She entered in a burrow and grinned maliciously at the cowering kits and their mother. "NO!" She internally screamed but that didn't stop herself from killing the younglings and their protector._

_She saw Nightmares, Fearlings and Dream Pirates slaughter the tribe of rabbits. "Kill every Pooka you could find and none shall be spared." She commanded in an English accent and inwardly gasped. She heard that voice before. All of her comrades killed every rabbit, from woman to child, from a baby to a warrior. Burned every burrow and garden. No one survived the genocide._

_Soon, it turned eerily quiet. Her exhausted comrades flee and so did she. She could feel her mind ripped away from the English man and now she found herself running in all fours, desperately trying to reach her homeland. She knew that this body she resided was too late. There is no one to be saved. She came to a halt on the edge of the burrow filled land and gasped in horror._

_She ran around, checking every body to see if someone survived the terrible slaughter. She could feel her feet touch slushy liquid from the ground. She knew that it was blood. She ran to a burrow that was left unscathed by the fire. She somehow knew that it was her home. She looked at every nook and cranny of the burrow and found a large body with four little dead ones around the larger corpse._

_She knelt down and hugged the large dead body. She cried and cried and soften the fur of her loved one. She tried healing them, tried to resurrect them but her powers weren't enough to allow her. She covered them with white blankets and licked their foreheads, a sign that says her one last goodbye. She ran out of the burrow and into the field and near the edge of a grassy cliff with a beautiful view of the sea. She could have admire the scenery but all she could feel is grief and loss._

_She suddenly buckled and fell onto the ground. She screamed and screamed. "NO!" She screamed loudly, making the word echo around her surroundings. "I WAS TOO LATE!" She shouted again and it still echo around her, as if it was coming back to slap her on the face. "I'm all alone." She whispered when her voice gave out from too much screaming. She hugged her knees and cried on it. She cried and cried until no more tears were left to shed. She stood up, looking rather determined._

_She would give EVERYONE a proper burial and an everlasting goodbye._

* * *

_She could hear laughter echoing around the town. She glided across the sky and snow fell from the staff she's waving. She could feel the wind ruffling her hair and caressing her cheeks. She freeze random posts, make the people shiver from the cold she brings. She gracefully landed on a street filled with giddy children. She smiled, somehow knowing that she gave a wonderful snow day to everyone._

_She suddenly threw a snowball at a child and the boy laughed merrily and started to throw snowballs at his friends. They started to have a snowball fight and she decided to join in. She gave them ammo, throw some snowballs at the children and laughed with them. Soon the sun started to set and the children were all called by their mothers. Her face fell and when the boy she first threw a snowball at walked through her, she could feel the most painful thing in the world._

_She felt like her soul had been ripped apart and went back together. She flew away from the town and move to another. She aimlessly walked on the street, freezing random fire hydrants and lamp posts. She saw a family, talking merrily to each other and their child laughing with his parents. She scoffed and ignored them._

_She then saw a group of friends, chatting and laughing and patting backs and she still scoffed at them. She flew away from the sight that keeps slapping her for a million times. She doesn't want to cry and so she doesn't. She kept everything bottled up._

_The scene changed in front of her and she was face to face with a large bunny. She could see the fury smouldering in the bunny's green eyes. "What were ya thinking?!" The bunny suddenly shouted. "I… just wan–" The bunny never let her finish her sentence when he grabbed her hoodie's collar and slammed her hard on the trunk of the tree. "Ya fuckin' messed up ma holiday." The bunny greeted his teeth in frustration._

_"I just wanna have some fun." She managed to choke out and shakily chuckled at the bunny. "Fun? Ya called that fun? Ya fuckin' caused a snow storm on mah holiday. Yer a winter spirit and it's spring. Yer worthless! Ya should now by now tat ya don't belong her'. No one wants a spirit who brings death and cold into ta world. Scamper off, ya wanker! 'N if ya mess up with ma holiday, I will not let ya live." The bunny tapped a hole from the ground and completely disappeared._

_She was shellshocked for a while. She could hear the voice of the bunny ringing in her ears. His every word harshly piercing her heart. She stifled a sob and flew away from the town where she met the Easter Bunny. She just wanna catch the bunny's attention. She just wanna have some Easter eggs from the rabbit. She just wanna have some hope. She just wanna have some friend to talk to. She just wanna have a family. She just wanna stopped being alone. And she just wanna stopped being purposeless._

_The scene changed again and she was face to face with the Guardians. "Woah, woah! Who said anything about me being a Guardian?" She asked in disbelief. "We do not choose Guardian. Manny does." A Russian man replied to her. "Wait… The Man in the Moon talks to you?" She asked, completely shocked. "Last night, Jack. He chose you to be a Guardian." The fairy placed a hand on her shoulder._

_"I don't wanna be a Guardian. I don't want to be cooped up in some hide out, trying to bribe children with toys and chocolate and quarters." She shouted directly at the moon. "No offense." She turned to the Guardians. "How is that not offensive?" The bunny stepped forward and pointed at her. "Look, we should agree with him. He doesn't want to be her' 'n besides he doesn't know how ta make children happy." The rabbit glared at her, clear distaste forming in his eyes._

_"Do you ever heard of a snow day?" She asked the rabbit and grinned at him. "It's no hard-boiled egg but children love what I bring." She determinedly implied to the rabbit. He sarcastically laughed and stared blankly at her. "Even if ya do bring them with these so called snow days, what's ta benefit, hmm? Ya see mate, no one believes in ya. Yer invisible. Yer nothing more than a expression ta them." The rabbit harshly said to her._

_They all know that the rabbit gave a low blow to her and everyone in the room felt it and went silent. "Bunny! That's en–" The fairy start to scold the Easter Bunny but she cut the fairy off. "The Kangaroo's right." She gestured at the stunned rabbit. "Kan… garoo?" Bunny echoed in disbelief. "Well, you are, aren't you? Judging from the accent and looks and all." She grinned devilishly, twirling the staff around her fingers._

_The rabbit menacingly glared at her. She went face to face with the angry rabbit. "I'm a bunny," He emphasized, "the Easter Bunny. People actually believe in me." She felt like salt was rubbed on her healing wounds. She felt that the Easter Bunny is far better than her. She felt that no one would believe in her. She felt that she's going to be completely alone. She tried not to have a emotional breakdown in front of them. She stifled a sob and blinked back the tears welling up from her eyes._

* * *

Teddy screamed at the top of her lungs and thrashed on the ground. The nightmare was horrifying. She could feel everything. The pain. The grief. The loss. The malice. The loneliness. Everything.

She noticed that it was pitch black and curled into a fatal position. Teddy lowly whimpered. She knew that Pitch isn't there to comfort her. She knew that Jack isn't there to come by her side. She knew that Bunny isn't there to soothingly rub his nose on her temple. She knew that no one is going to find her. She knew that no one is going to save her. She knew that she was alone. And for the first time in five years, she cried.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

That's so evil (insert mad laughter here). Who can guess whose nightmare did she get? _Aelius _is derived from the Greek word (_helios_) meaning _sun._

If you want to know what Aelius' tattoo on his left hand looks like, type this link on your address bar: jacks-teddy dot tumblr dot com/post/51628027561/

Who's still interested in _Extras from Frosted Pen? _Add it to your review! PLEASE vote in my poll, okay? Please? I change it into a multiple selection so now you can pick two choices. Don't break Star's heart.

Okay, read and review my readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d and the ones who are currently lurking in the shadows. Review for any clarifications or confusion, I would happily answer it.

Yours truly, Star.


	23. Mother Nature's Haven

_EmeraldRhino__– Thank you and here is the next chapter!_

_XxSaphirezxX__– Yey! You're interested! Your questions will be answered as you read through the chapter. Enjoy!_

_LittleRedRiddingWolf– I know (sobs). Here is the chapter!_

_Chocolate Spirit– Here I am! Yey! You're interested as well. Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

All of the Guardians got out of the sleigh and entered the workshop, looking troubled and deflated. Teddy Ross is held captive by a summer spirit. One that had met Jack and can hurt the boy badly. Winter and Summer never coexist unless meetings and truces are in the picture. The warm and the cold they are radiating are so strong that it could cause an explosion without the need to touch each other or to collide with one another.

The Guardians sat in the Globe Room, thinking of how they would deal with this big problem that somehow MiM laid in front of them. "Summer spirit?" The Russian whispered in disbelief as he shrugged off his furry coat and hat. Elves appeared from the hallway, carrying a tray of eggnog and walking around the protectors. All of them, even Jack, got a cup of the warm beverage.

The boy idly freeze and unfreeze the liquid over and over again, the anxiety getting into him. "How did you two meet?" Tooth asked after she stopped fluttering around. All of them stiffened from their seats, remembering all of the times they ignored the winter spirit. "I met him 150 years ago, give or take. I was bringing snow in England and that's when he came." Jack replied, not taking his eyes off from the now-frosty eggnog.

"Did ya catch his name, mate?" Bunnymund asked after fishing out another round of rum and milk. "Yah. His name is…" The winter spirit paused, thinking all the way back for the spirit's name. "Aelius. Aelius, I think." He repeated the name, reassuring both himself and the Guardians. North and Tooth stifled a gasp, Bunny glared at the empty space and Sandy looked almost impassive.

"Ya know him?" The hellion cocked an eyebrow while placing his conduit on his shoulder. The protectors looked at each other for a second and turned to nod at the boy. "Aelius is good man. Very lively and friendly. Known by many spirits." The jolly man let out a tiny grin on his bearded face. "Consider yerself lucky, mate." Bunny unsheathed his boomerang and idly twirled it for amusement.

Before Jack could asks, the fairy cut in. "You see Jack, there were rumours that Aelius is cornering lonely spirits and torture them until he got bored." Tooth informed, almost whispered the whole thing, as if it was a goddamn secret. "O… kay." The prankster drawled in. "There are other cases as to why Aelius captured Teddy." North added, giving the boy a sympathetic look.

They all that Jack has feelings for Teddy. Romantic feelings in particular. And Jack is hell-bent in finding the missing girl. "He was trying to befriend me." Jack murmured to himself but everyone heard the statement. "Bad business." The Pooka whistled quietly, still twirling the boomerang. It irritated Jack and he badly want to blast ice to the wooden weapon. "I think you're one of the many spirits in his list." North remarked, gulping another eggnog from the tiny goblet.

The white-haired looked dubious. Sandy sighed inaudibly and tugged a handful of his pants, trying to catch the winter spirit's attention. The boy looked down and shot the little man a confused look. _"He plans to torture you." _Sandy sadly signed and Jack tried to suppress a shudder. "Why is he doing this?" Jack simply inquired. "He's gone round the bend." Toothiana sighed and looked down. "Huh?"

"She means tat he's gone crazy." Bunny informed and shot a blank look to the boy. "I know what it means!" He suddenly exclaimed and all of the Guardians' head shot up. "What I mean is, why did he went crazy?" The protectors shot another secretive glance at each other before they nodded. "He had same case as you, my boy." North gestured at him. Jack suddenly held his breath. Did they mean that Aelius was a loner like him?

"He fell in love with a human girl." Tooth sadly implied and Jack almost release a sigh of relief, almost. Did he love Teddy? Of course, he loves her! As a friend… maybe. "Woah. Who said anything about me loving Teddy?" The Guardians did not answer his cry and started to tease Bunny. "Ye, I had ta same case as tat Aelius boy but I ain't turned bloody crazy!" The Pooka vigorously defended himself, looking appalled from the remark of his companions.

"Oh really? You had a lockdown for weeks!" North poked the rabbit's ear and it twitched. "At least, I didn't torture any lone spirit tat I came across with!" Another defend and the rest stifled their chuckles. "Are you sure about that, Bunny?" Tooth teased and they suddenly broke into laughter. "OI!" Bunnymund fell into a fighting stance and everybody shut up. "No one, I mean no one, jokes about Celia's death. I swear ta MiM, if Teddy's here, she has gutted ya all alive." It's true, what Bunny had said.

The Guardians clamped their mouths, immediately regretting their humours' sudden appearance. One does not joke about someone's death. Yes, it's true that Bunny had a lockdown but it's because he still hasn't got over his lover's death and that he was mourning. "We're sorry." Tooth whispered and lowered her head. Bunny shook his head and chuckled humourlessly. "Nah, shiela. Tat's alrigh' but now, ya should answer Frosbite's question." He gestured at the boy who looked stunned and distant.

The Guardians had acted all chummy in front of him, not even trying to let him join in the conversation. Jack didn't know who Celia was. All he knows about is that Bunny fell in love with her and that she was Teddy's deceased mother, nothing else. "It's obvious." North suddenly answered him and gave him a mischievous smile. "Is it?" He muttered to himself. "Of course it is, sweet tooth. The way you look at her. The way you smile. The way you suddenly feel very protective of her." Toothiana answered his supposed secret question.

"Rememba ta time when Teddy got shot?" All of the Guardians winced at that. It did happen some time after Christmas and still, they can't get over it after almost three months had passed. "Ya won't let go of her. Ya stayed by her side, day and night. Sandy told me himself." Bunny smirked and gestured at the little man who looked sheepish yet felt accomplished. "I guess." He whispered, feeling doubtful.

"Back to the case," Tooth clasped her hand, a feeling of authority suddenly surrounded her, "Aelius fell in love with a human girl. They really did love each other. We like the girl as we like Teddy. But Aelius' lover caught an incurable disease. We tried everything. We tried to heal her, let her drink some of our concoctions. But even with our advanced magic, we could not save her."

"She died but Aelius did not give up. He plead to Manny and Mother Nature to resurrect her but…" The Cossack paused, looking guilty as to what he was about to say. "Manny said no. He did not…" The fairy continued for the Russian but she paused as well. Sandy was out of sand images and Bunny was the only one who would be able to finish the reason. Not even Jack knew. "MiM did not see anythin' special within ta girl." The room went silent, even the elves stopped scampering. All they could hear is their heartbeats, their breathing, the yetis' mechanizing, and the harsh wind clattering the windows.

"What?!" Jack suddenly exclaimed in annoyance. "Everyone has a special something in them! Her special something is that she fought the disease. She tried to live for Aelius. Is that not special?!" The Guardians looked downcast and they all sighed. "Yes, she is indeed special but we thought that maybe she wants to rest." Everyone understood Tooth's notion and they once again fell into silence.

"Great. We have a crazy spirit who wants to torture me, a girl to save, and a hideout to find." Jack grumbled under his breath. "It's not torture, my boy." North put his beefy hand on the boy's shoulder. "What else is new?" The boy sighed in distress and perched on his usual window ledge. _"Aelius is jealous." _Sandy signed, frowning at his own statement.

"Everyone has ta righ' ta be jealous." Bunny implied, still not tired from twirling his bloody boomerang. "Indeed. You were chosen to be Guardian, da?" The Russian man started to sharpen his sword. Jack just looked blankly at Nick. "It's rare for a seasonal spirit to be chosen as a Guardian. No offense, sweet tooth." The hummingbird apologetically grinned whilst pointing one of her mini-fairies to go to this destination. "None taken." The winter spirit impassively replied and stood up from his perch.

"Where are we going to find out his hideout anyway?" Jack pondered, twirling the staff in his hand. The boy started to pace, a usual sight to the Guardians. They gazed at each other and started to think as well. "If those tortures are only rumours…" The boy muttered and paced to and fro. "AHA!" The hellion happily exclaimed. "We can go to Mother Nature and ask for his location." The Guardians grinned at their youngest's idea. Mother Nature has to have at least a lead, an idea or data about where the spirit's location is.

"Tat sounds like a good plan." Bunny ruffled the boy's hair as he leaned away from his wooden pillar. "You're doubting me, Cottontail." Jack teased and had his usual mischievous smirk plastered on his face. Before they could exit the workshop, a yeti suddenly appeared from the hallway and approached North. He garbled something on the Russian's ear and North understandably nodded. The grey yeti handed something to the Cossack and left.

"Yeti said a salamander delivered parcel." North gestured at the small, brown parcel. Jack gasped and quickly snatched from the Russian's grasp. North looked like someone snatched his Christmas present. The Guardians circled around Jack as the boy ripped the parcel's wrappings.

A black box stood on top of the spirit's cold hands and he carefully removed the lid. Bunny gasped in recognition as Jack brought up the bracelet he gave to Teddy on Christmas. "Teddy's bracelet…" The rabbit muttered and everyone suddenly held their breath.

There was another piece of jewellery inside the black box and Tooth was the one who brought it up. It was a silver locket. A snowflake was engraved on the oval-shaped pendant. The fairy opened it and bittersweetly smiled at the content. There was a picture of Jack on the left and Teddy's picture on the right. The picture was caught when the winter spirit was laughing. The girl's hand was on her mouth, trying to stifle the her fit of giggles.

The locket was easily passed around, smiling fondly at the locket's content. "I never knew she wore a locket before." Jack quietly remarked as he grinned at the stolen picture. A picture courtesy of one Sanderson Mansnoozie. "This just proves that she loves you and you love her." Tooth lightly teased and delicately closed the locket.

Something caught Jack's eye. A piece of paper was left inside the box. He easily got it and handed the empty container to North. The boy flipped opened the paper. _"The remnants of the deceased Teddy Tyler."_ Was written in elegant calligraphy. "He's bluffin'!" Bunny exclaimed angrily. This made the Guardians more determined. Aster put the bracelet in one of the safest pockets of his bandolier and Jack wore the locket around his neck and tucked the pendant under his hoodie.

They have a teddy bear to save. "Everyone to the sleigh!" The jolly man boisterously shouted and everybody cheered, except for Bunny who groaned. _Another nauseating trip, here I come!_

* * *

_Where are they? _The boy asked himself as he gazed at the white-looking mountains looming below their ride. The mountains looked like they were covered with snow but then again, it might be snow. Jack noticed that this view is vaguely familiar, he didn't know. The boy could see miniature-looking pine trees from his seat. Jack chuckled when the Pooka suppressed a barf.

"Where are we?" He giddily asked, like a 5-year-old boy waking up on Christmas morning. North only laughed and whipped the reindeers' reins, making them speed up. "We're above the White Mountains. We're at eastern California, Inyo County to be exact." Tooth happily informed him and put a hand on his shoulder. Jack's grin went wider and once again peeked from his seat.

They soon started to descend in a grove of peculiar-looking pine trees. "Why are we here?" Jack asked again, still the giddy 5-year-old boy. "Ya'll see." Was the nauseated Pooka's reply. They got out of the sleigh while North scratched the head reindeer's snout and whispered something in Russian. "North said that they should stay out of sight." The fairy informed, as if reading his mind.

Jack shrugged and the walk, fly and hop, respectively. They encountered Limber pine trees, Piñon pine trees and Utah junipers on less permeable rocky substrates. The White Mountains had small groves of Lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine, Ponderosa pine, Sierra juniper and Aspen. They came across streams and some fauna such as a mule deer, marmots and a BigHorn sheep. Jack noticed that they were heading south and saw the tall trees up ahead.

They were morbidly beautiful and some are downright scary. "What are those?" The boy pointed at the scary-looking tree. The trunk was thick its branches were pointy and impaler-looking. "Those are Great Basin bristlecone pine or _Pinus longaeva. _For many years, they are known to be the world's oldest non-clonal living organism. Some stood strong for over 5000 years!" Tooth ecstatically informed. _Well, some of them are studying their botany._

"One of it opens ta Mother Nature's hideout." Bunny tapped his shoulder twice and they moved on. "No human knows the exact location of the tree." Tooth mumbled to herself. "Why is that?" Jack asked as he floated beside the fluttering fairy. "I don't know. The only ones who knew about it is the Forest Service. They said that it's for protecting the tree." Jack almost found this trip doubtful but the hummingbird wasn't finish. "But we know." She winked and fluttered beside the Russian man.

The winter spirit chuckled to himself and they continued to walk, fly and hop, respectively. Soon they came across a similar-looking bristlecone pine. It was gnarled and twisted, its branches looking sharp as ever and its trunk thick and definitely solid. North nodded at the hummingbird hybrid and fluttered near the plant. She started to inspect it, touching its trunk and softly bending the branches. _Since when did Tooth become a botanist?_

Jack curiously stared at the tree and he felt that it stared back at him. This bristlecone pine has no leaves, making the branches and trunk more alive and scary-looking. Jack felt a shiver went up to his spine. He didn't know that winter spirits can have that before but then again, it could metaphorical. Tooth flew beside North and nodded affirmatively. "So this scary-looking tree is the portal that would open to Mother Nature's hideout?" Jack asked out loud and pointed at the tree. It groaned slightly and the boy gulped, thinking that he might have somehow offend it.

Bunny shot him a look, North chuckled and Sandy only shrugged. "Yep. It is a bristlecone pine and was named after Methuselah, a Biblical figure having the longest mentioned lifespan in the Bible. It's been in this world for 4845 years, give or take." Tooth happily explained to the hellion and Jack suppressed a perfect eye roll. Nick stepped a few good feet away from the tree, brought his beefy arms up and opened his mouth.

It unexpectedly closed, seeming to forget what words it was about to spit out. "Toothy, what's ze password again?" The Cossack turned around and sheepishly grinned. The fairy rolled her lavender eyes and stepped in front of the Russian. North walked back and stood beside Bunny, looking expectantly at the perky fairy. She closed her eyes and spoke something in a different language. _"Mater Natura, Regina Temporibusque, Māter Omnium." _Nothing happened and the youngest thought that this was all an act.

He was about turn around when a sprite appeared behind the tree. _That's it?! _The sprite stared at them with her big, black eyes. She nodded and brought out a parchment of paper and a quill from her pocket. Tooth suddenly gushed about how adorable she is and Jack easily noticed a tint of pink spread across her pale green skin. It was a summer sprite, Jack noticed. The season was occurring all throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

The summer sprite was wearing an sleeveless orange dress, made out of orange leaves. A yellow flower crown perched on her wavy, brown hair and translucent, detailed wings fluttered from behind. She nodded and looked expectantly at them. Tooth made a chirpy sound and nudged the bulky man. "North." She said under her breath and the man only laughed and stepped forward.

"Nicholas St. North. Santa Clause and the Guardian of Wonder." He said, rather proudly. The sprite jotted it down and slightly smiled at Tooth. "Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies. The Guardian of Memories." The hummingbird clasped her hands and perked, savouring the familiar taste of the title. "E. Aster Bunnymund. The last Pooka and the Guardian of Hope." Bunny grunted, glanced away and crossed his furry arms on his chest.

"Sanderson Mansnoozie. Former Star and Guardian of Dreams." North happily gestured at the little man and Sandy brought two thumbs up. No one spoke and everyone looked expectantly at the boy. Bunny groaned inwardly and nudged the boy's side, making his stumble a bit. "Ahh… Jack Frost. the epitome of Winter, a spirit from the Seasons Court. And the Guardian of Fun." "Joy." Jack and Bunny said at the same time. Jack confusingly glanced at the Pooka but Bunnymund only shrugged.

The summer sprite jotted all of their names and/or titles down and suddenly disappeared. She never came back but the tree suddenly made a cracking sound and it twisted and turned, opening a big hole in between its big trunk. Tooth seemed eager and dragged Nicholas to the hole, a mysterious strength coming from the fairy. They suddenly disappeared and Jack gasped in surprise. The rabbit merely rolled his eyes and dragged the struggling spirit, Sandy following suite.

Jack never step inside Mother Nature's hideout slash kingdom. He kept ignoring the Seasons Court meetings and Mother Nature impassively let him go. He was never drag into the meetings and so he never knew the interior of the Mother's home. The five were walking on a red carpet, heading to a throne at the end of the room. They were different shades of leaves scattered on the floor. Some were green, some were yellow. There were autumn leaves and there were frosty ones as well.

Like most throne rooms, it was made of marble. From pillars to the floors. The boy noticed something of a second floor with railings and doors. A lot of sprites are looking at them as they leisurely strolled to Mother Nature's throne. They soon came to a stop and Tooth fluttered forward. "Seraphina." She chirped and slightly bowed down. The winter spirit noticed the sprite from earlier, handing the parchment of paper to her queen.

"Toothiana." Mother whimsically grinned. Jack's blue eyes gazed around, noticing that Mother Nature sat on golden throne with a crest sat on top of the chair. The crest was a division of four objects. A snowflake, Jack guessed. An autumn-shaped leaf. A petal of a flower and another leaf. They represented the four seasons that Mother Nature she shepherded. Behind the throne was a window, a large one, depicting a tree.

Like the crest, it was divided in four, once again representing the seasons. Green leaves sprouted from the left branches, similar green leaves with blossoming flowers occupied the second half of the tree. Reddish-brown leaves fell from the right and snow perched on the last set of branches with no leaves at all. The sun hit the window and it shone brightly, bringing out the beauty it concealed. It reminded Jack of those churches' windows.

"What brings the Guardians of Childhood in my counsel?" Seraphina asked, an air of regality surrounding her. Raven black hair flow from her back, reminding the hellion of the starless night sky. Mother Nature was wearing a high-collared gown. It had a crest in the middle of her collar bone and her dress had curvy details from her chest to her sleeved arms. There was a diamond cut on her stomach, catching a glimpse of her belly button. The dress seemed to be the colour and initiation of a sea, endless and wavy.

"We want to know ze location of Aelius, Mother Nature." North stepped beside Tooth, looking bashful and metaphorically tiny in the presence of the Queen of the Seasons. "Why do you seek one of my spirits, Nicholas?" Seraphina asked, the impassive gaze never leaving her face. Jack never really knew Seraphina, only that she's his Mother and the one of people he serves. "He captured a human, Seraphina." North simpler explained.

Mother Nature cocked an eyebrow and almost looked dismissive but she stood up and waved at them to follow her. They came through a door and into a hallway. A lot of sprites paused and stared at them but continued to what they are doing when Mother Nature tilted her head. They came in front of two-door entryway and it automatically swung open. There stood a globe, in a centre of the room.

It reminded Jack of Jamie's globe, only bigger and stood on a pedestal. Mother Nature faced the continent of North America and pulled something from the pedestal. A glow of light raised above the globe. They waited for awhile and a face finally appeared on the light. "Mother Nature. I am deeply sorry for unpunctuality." A man's tenor voice spoke with respect. They all guessed it was Aelius. "Aelius, I would like for you to tell me the location of your place." The woman ordered, still looking impassive and sophisticated.

Aelius seemed to pause and pondered. The Guardians waited expectantly and wished to MiM that the summer spirit would rely his location to Mother Nature. Seraphina snapped her hands and a parchment of paper and a quill floated near her grasp. She gazed expectantly at the man and he sighed. Aelius replied and somehow it was muffled and non-understandable. Jack quirked an eyebrow at the censored location.

"Thank you Aelius and your location is just for our records. We need to know each of the seasonal spirits' location incase something disastrous happen. Have a nice season, Aelius." The light disappeared from the globe before Aelius could even answer. They didn't expect that Seraphina could sometimes be a liar. She stepped in front of them and thinly smiled.

"I hope this will be of great use, Guardians of Childhood. You had me lying to one of the Seasons Court's spirit. I want you to finish this Aelius business once and for all. I don't want to see another spirit crying because of the torture she or he dealt from Aelius. Yes, it maybe rumours but they are true.

"I do not have the power to kick him out of the Court because he is still doing his job but he had crossed the line, taking a human captive. You may or may not spare his life. It is up to you but if you do spare him, bring him to me and I shall decide what punishment to give him. Good luck Guardians and may MiM guide you." She handed Nicholas the parchment of paper and disappeared, leaving them wisps of clouds and wind.

North unrolled the paper and read the contents. They all childishly peeked at the paper and Jack was the one who suddenly felt queasy. _"Death Valley, California. 36°14_′_49_″_N 116°49_′_01_″_W." _Was elegantly written on the parchment. The hottest place on Earth and a winter spirit's worst nightmare.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Hello everyone! I had a hard time writing this chapter and I need to bang my head first before completely revising it to the dot. Definitely unedited because this was written on June 1, 2013, 1:00 A.M. Saturday.

_Some unnecessary story facts:_

1. I made Mother Nature cold. According to Bunnymund, Mother Nature is unpredictable and not always kind. She left an impression to me that is she sometimes cold (after seeing her picture). Another reason why I made her cold is that she has an image to uphold. After all, she is somewhat a queen (to me, at least).

2. Seraphina is not Mother Nature's true name. Some say that William Joyce mentioned it in a interview but no one has the link and was not proven. If it is stated that it is proven, please tell me through PM or review. I really like the name Seraphina. It has a nice ring to it so I made it Mother Nature's name.

3. It's been almost three months after Teddy got shot. (See last chapter.)

4. Teddy never mentioned about having a locket thus the Guardians' revelation. She wants to keep it a secret since it would definitely uncover some _hidden feelings_ for Jack.

5. I read on some website that they never reveal the exact location of Methuselah (except for the fact that it is in White Mountains). Information about the White Mountains, the Inyo County, the bristlecone pine and Methuselah are gotten from the internet.

6. _Mater Natura, Regina Temporibusque, Māter Omnium _is Latin for _Mother Nature, Queen of the Seasons, Mother of All. _I entirely made that up. I separately translated each of the title so that you won't get confused. (I got help from Google Translate).

7. It is said that Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth (according to the internet and some statistics). The numbers written on the parchment is the exact coordinates of Death Valley.

8. The way the Methuselah twisted and turned and opened a portal is based on the near end of _Narnia: Prince Caspian_.

That's all. Read and review my readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d and the ones who are lurking in the shadows. Extras? Leave it in your review. Vote in my poll as well. Cheerio!

Yours truly, Star.


	24. Lions and Poisons

_Chocolate Spirit__– Thank you and yep, good luck to Jack._

_I3JackFrost__– Thank you very much! I really like the locket part too. Do you think there will be a confession or Jack is too late and Teddy dies? Thank you very much once again and keep reviewing awesome person!_

_EmeraldRhino__– The locating would make the chapters interesting. Thank you and here is the chapter. _

_XxSaphirezxX__– We'll see, Sap. We'll see. Enjoy!_

_HuntressofArtemis192__– True, true. Thanks for the information. Enjoy the chapter!_

_Xion5_– _Thank you for the information and I'm actually excited for the book! Here is the chapter and thank you! Keep reviewing!_

_LittleRedRiddingWolf__– Same here. Enjoy!_

_Warning: Some scenes are rated T but then again, this whole story is rated T. _

* * *

_Tap. Tap. Tap._ The soft noise echoed around the rafters and the floors. _Tap. Tap. Tap._ There was it again! It almost sounded like a person breathing; repetitive, rhythmic and somewhat constant. You could suddenly feel the rise of confidence around the air. There, hands stuffed in his pants' pockets, was Aelius. A smirk adorned his handsome face while heading to a specific room.

He very much loved his hideout. An abandoned mine in Death Valley. A friend suggested him to build one here, easily depicting his hot season. Well, more of that later. He paused in front of an old-looking door with vine-like designs carved on the wood. It twisted and turned, some visible leaves hanging from the curves. Shame that that door is the entrance to his t_orture-commencing_ room.

With a snap of a finger that rang annoyingly around the hallway, the door swung open. It was not that he was lazy or anything, but the fact that someone might intrude in his abode and see some of his _play things_. The door made an eerie creaking sound and musty air embraced him lightly like smoke. He stepped inside, the sole of his sandals hitting the floor and it resounded around the empty room. Aelius left it as it is. An unlit fireplace, an empty round table, a set of doors and chains hanging limply on the wall.

_Aelius… _He whirled around, his breath hitching. Someone barely whispered, uttering his name in a mellow voice. It must have been his imagination. She, after all, died a hundred years ago. Shaking his head, Aelius leisurely headed to the only rusty metal door. _Hic. Hic. Hic. _Sobs and hiccups emanated from inside of the room. A smirk easily slipped on the spirit's face. He produced a silver key from the hidden pocket of his yellow tunic, a much more effective security than a snap of a finger.

The silver key fitted in the keyhole and he turned, hearing a satisfied _click. _The sobs and the hiccups were louder than before. The mewls abruptly stopped, a hissing sound suddenly resounding around the pitch black room. "I see you had a good night sleep." He chuckled amusingly. Teddy hated the blinding light as much as she hated the man who chortled. "Hardly." She gritted her teeth in both defiance and annoyance.

The air was suddenly knocked out from Teddy's lungs. She skidded farther from the exit. She suddenly jolted up, hating herself for curling up in a fatal position. Teddy suddenly winced and her face scrunched in pain. "I simply adore your face." Aelius amusingly mocked. The kick Aelius landed on her chest was merciless and Teddy could sworn she heard something cracked.

"What the fuck was that for?" Teddy hissed in lethality. "_Tsk, tsk. _Language, my dear." The spirit mockingly wagged his finger to and fro. It really annoyed Teddy and it driven her into snapping that finger but she knew what the man was capable of. Instead, she gently placed a hand on her chest, applying some pressure on the broken bone. _Is that even right? _Suddenly, Teddy was hauled from the ground and got dragged out of the pitch black room.

Relief momentarily adorned her face when the door groaningly closed and clinked, alerting no one in particular that it was locked. They made their way to the _blasted _chains and the relief immediately fell, replaced with annoyance and glumness. She was easily hoisted up and chained on the wall, the cuffs burning her delicate skin. _Aelius… _"Ah, Aelius. I think someone is calling you." Teddy softly informed, suddenly feeling a shiver ran up her spine.

The voice was so soft but downright scary and it unnerved Teddy. Aelius, on the other hand, stiffened, looking not much like a rock but immediately composed himself. "Ignore it." The man grunted in response. "And why?" Teddy drawled in, trying to make small talk with her capturer. "Never mind." The man muttered while double-checking the cuffs. As if Teddy could escape this wretched place.

"Maybe it was your wife or something?" She pressed on and once again, the man slightly stiffened. "How did you know that I had a wife?" Aelius glared menacingly at her. She almost send him an eye roll. "It would not take a genius for someone to know." Teddy coolly implied. The man merely said nothing and just floated in front of her. After all, she was dangling from the ground. Satisfied with her supposed bait, she continued. "Her name is tattooed on the back of your right hand." That caused Aelius to sneaked a glance on his particular hand.

"The name was originally Latin and written using the Greek alphabet," Teddy smartly explained, "the name inscribed on your hand is _valens, _Latin word for–" "Strong." The spirit continued for her. Teddy let a small smile adorned her face. "Precisely. Her name is derived from the word _valens. _A name derived from the word _valens…" _She paused, muttering the last sentence over and over again._ "_Ah! Valencia!" Teddy happily exclaimed. Aelius' face contorted in a mixture of nostalgia and wistfulness. "Your deceased wife's name is Valencia." She said a matter-of-factly.

_Aelius… _There was that voice again! Teddy could feel the room's temperature dropped a few degrees. The man floating in front of her, gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. It took a while for the summer spirit to compose himself and so Teddy simply waited. Aelius breathed a profound sigh and a smug smirk easily hung on his face. "Pity that Jack met you first." Teddy almost cocked an eyebrow at his comment. _Change of tactics, huh?_

"Why? You like me?" She coolly taunted and one of her smirks plastered on her face. "As a matter of fact, yes, I do." Aelius wickedly grinned and floated forward. He cupped her cheek and roughly rubbed it. "Don't touch me!" Teddy angrily shrieked and glared at the man. Aelius simply smirked that smug smirk and suddenly went lower, tracing her jawline. The female captive made a hissing sound, both in annoyance and disgust. "Did you hear what I just said?_Don't touch me_."

"What was that?" Aelius mockingly cupped his hand behind his ear and grinned. "DON'T. TOUCH. ME." Teddy emphasized every word, adding venom and lethality on every syllable. "I really like you. You're so feisty." The man lustfully purred. "So was your wife?" She gave the man a blank look. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips formed a thin line. "I'll show you." Aelius menacingly growled. "_Show me what? _That you can cheat behind your wife's back?" Before Teddy could say another word, a rough pair of lips slammed into hers.

She suddenly felt nauseated and disgusted. She squirmed and desperately tried to let go but Aelius locked his hands on her dislocated shoulders. It was not like Jack's implanted kiss on her cheek. It was not soft. It was not electrifying. It was not chaste. He was not _Jack. _Jack is the only who can kiss her, if he get the chance, that is.

"Get off." Teddy hissed in between the kiss but Aelius only deepened it. She hopelessly tried to let her lips tightly shut but Aelius' tongue irritatingly prodded and easily slipped into her mouth. She moaned in both disgust and horror but Aelius took it as a moan of pleasure. Teddy inwardly gasped when Aelius' hand started to roam around.

It fell on the small of her back. It move to her waist, and dangerously near to the hem of her sweater. Teddy found his touches dirty and disgusting and she squirmed determinedly when his hand suddenly went inside her sweater, softly grazing near her belly button, up to her stomach and near to the hem of her bra. _No, no, no, no, no, NO! _Teddy inwardly screamed. Aelius' mouth was very persistent and nauseating. His touches paralysing her.

He was almost there when suddenly, someone cleared one's throat vigorously. Aelius whirled around, leaving Teddy breathless and disgusted. A boy stood in the middle of the room, with limp, straw-colored hair and impassive, light brown eyes. He wore a dull yellow tunic, black pants and brown leather boots that stopped right below his knees. A quiver slung around his body, full of arrows and partnered with a bow. "Master Aelius, Mother Nature ask for your presence." The boy smoothly spoke and blankly stared at his master.

"Very well. Watch Teddy for me then." Aelius gestured at the breathless female captive and slipped out of the room, like a serpent he was. The boy cautiously stared at the composing girl whilst sitting on the empty round table. No one spoke and all Teddy could hear is her and the boy's breathing, the ringing in her ears and nothing else. Not even the wind that was suppose to be omnipresent.

"Hello." Teddy softly greeted, eyeing the boy expectantly. He looked stunned at first but tried remaining impassive. "Hi." The boy replied after a deafening, pregnant pause. "What's your name?" She asked and the boy obviously jumped up from his seat. Was he supposed to answer or not? His master didn't say anything about not talking to the girl so he decided to response with the tiniest voice he didn't know he had. "Leo."

"How old are you, Leo?" The girl astounded him. She could easily speak up and actually talk to him. No one ever spare him a glance before but this girl is willing to chat with him. "Eight." Leo monotonously implied. "Poor thing." He heard the captive mumbled. That's why he hated them. He despised both spirits and humans. They were treating him like a child. Pitying on him like he can't take care of himself. Only his master saw the full potential he could muster.

"Stop belittling me!" The eight-year-old boy suddenly exclaimed and Teddy's head suddenly shot up."My apologies." She offered a kind smile to him. Leo blinked a couple of times and hunched back from his seat. "What's your name, Miss?" He asked ever so quietly. _Why is he starting to talk to this girl? _The rag doll chuckled slightly and the boy managed to quirked a perfectly arched eyebrow. _What was so funny?_

"Please don't call me _Miss. _Ted would be just fine." The lady once again smiled a trustworthy smile and Leo can't help but smile back a little. Teddy beamed at the small gesture. The two soon fell into silence, a comfortable one this time. "You know, you reminded me of someone I know." The female captive informed and that caught Leo's interested ears. "Who?" He asked, sounding like a curious and giddy boy but he was really just a boy.

Ted, as she let him call her, talked about a teenage boy that goes by the name of Jack Frost. Leo never heard of him and it flabbergasted Ted. Soon, she started to blabber about how Jack could make it snow and frost. Leo shuddered at the thought about the element that Jack possessed. He could hurt Leo badly. But suddenly, he was fascinated with the fact that _this_ Jack and him are the same in many ways.

They hated the pity the other spirits are giving them. They just want someone to talk to. They want someone who could spare them a glance. Leo wanted to meet this Jack person Ted is talking about. Leo wanted to get out this place. Leo wanted to be with Miss, er, Ted. Leo wanted someone to take care of him. And Ted is just the right person. He eagerly jumped out of his seat and stood in front of Ted. "Can I come with you?" The boy suddenly blurted out and turned away, blushing at his impulsiveness.

Ted once again chuckled slightly and Leo immediately thought that she was going to reject him. "Of course, Leo." The hanging girl replied enthusiastically and Leo could easily burst into tears although he held it back. The smile from Ted's face fell and Leo simply frowned. "What's the matter?" He worriedly inquired. "I wish I could take you away but I'm held captive here." Ted replied and rattled her chains in implication.

"I could help you escape. I mean I know the twists and turns of this place." Leo smiled at Ted's beaming and relieved face. "Thank you very much, Leo." She fondly smiled and Leo suddenly felt warmth burst in his chest. It easily went away when he remembered something. "But first, I want to show you something." Leo mumbled and Ted's head titled to the right side.

"What is it?" Leo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He imagined that he was in an empty space. Only a light floated in the centre of nothingness. Leo took shallow breaths this time and floated towards the light. He simply embraced it and it burned his whole body in a pleasurable pain. His back arched and he curled in a fatal position. He could feel something growing all over his body. He could feel his fingernails grow into something sharp.

Leo opened his eyes and stared at the gaping face of his new friend. "Are you scared?" He squeaked out but his voice came out deep and bass. Leo shape shifted into a lion, a full grown lion. Leo shook his whole body, his mane and fur following with the graceful movement. He felt itchy after the changing.

"No, no, no! You're so cool!" Ted burst out and laughed merrily. Leo smiled one of his own and roared quietly. He sat on his bum and stretched his back into an intimidating height. Two of his front hinds stood in front of him and he eyed Ted.

Then he started to tell his story. About how he was a lonely summer spirit and Aelius took him in. How Aelius took care of him, feed him, clothe him and teach him how to control his powers and shape shift. He told Ted about how he was once an orphan boy who really love running under the sun, swim with his friends on a sunny day, chase grasshoppers and climb trees.

He told her about how he was chosen by Mother Nature to be a summer spirit and how he became depressed for leaving his family and friends. He told Ted everything. He told her something that he didn't even tell Aelius.

Soon, they drifted off from their life stories and talked something idle or funny. They talked for hours and Leo even showed her how to change back. It was easier than turning into a lion. He simply let go of the light and his body would slowly return to its human form. He blushed when he opened his eyes to see that he was stark naked but luckily his clothes were unharmed. Teddy giggled at the practically embarrassed boy but nonetheless closed her eyes, to give Leo some needed privacy.

She felt the cuffs loosening and Teddy opened her eyes to see Leo unlocking the chains. Teddy felt a bubble of anticipation in the pit of her stomach. She could feel the excitement to finally get out of here. But everything disappeared when the door suddenly swung open. Leo instantaneously panicked and locked the cuffs in haste that it bit some of Teddy's skin and bled. The boy mouthed sorry and Teddy just shot him a reassuring smile. "What are you doing, Leo?" His master inquired as he stepped inside the room.

The boy shook a bit but regardlessly, answered his master with the same impassive tone he used before. "I was checking her chains, Master Aelius. She won't stop rattling it." Leo floated down and looked sympathetically at her before eyeing his master who, for some reason, holding a glass of water. "Thank you, Leo. You can go back to your duties." Leo respectfully bowed and exited the room, not before shooting his friend another look. "Miss me?" Aelius lightly teased, placing the glass on the table. "Not at all." She bluntly replied.

"Did Leo treated you good?" The man inquired while producing something from his pocket. "Yes." Teddy observed the glass of water in suspicion. The summer spirit brought out a vial of some sort. He poured it in the water and got a handful of Nightmare sand to come along with it. Teddy inwardly gulped. "What did you just put into the water?!" She frantically asked but Aelius only laughed and mix the substances. He cup the glass of water and floated in front of her.

Teddy tried kicking the glass from his hand but she could not lift her leg at all. After all, she hadn't ate or drank for roughly three days. The drink was now taunting her. "Cheers." Aelius playfully teased and forced the water down her throat. She coughed violently and felt a burn down her throat. "What the fuck was that?" She tried to breath out. "Oh, just something I experimented." The lunatic man replied whilst placing the empty glass on the table. Teddy coughed once more and blood trickled from her mouth. _What the?_

She suddenly felt scalding hot pain coursed throughout her veins and organs. "What… ha, the fuck?" Teddy cussed under breath, founding it hard to breathe. Soon, her breathing became laboured and she tried hard to maintain her consciousness. "It would not take a genius for someone to identify it, Teddy." Aelius had a point. It was so cliche. "Poison." She grunted under her breath.

"Correct. I am the one who created it. Here's a fun fact. It would slowly burn your insides. Every organ, artery, vein, everything. You would wither in excruciating pain as your insides crumble. Your head will pound harshly, you want to tear your hair out. It would last for two days or so. Your insides would definitely have an internal burn and slowly but surely, your body starts to shut down. And to top it all, I added some Nightmare sand! You would be incoherent and screaming in pain after a couple of minutes. Only I have the antidote or if I do lost it, you have to ask for a certain winter spirit to concoct one.

"That reminds me! It was supposed to be for Jack but it would be best if I try it on you first. Jack won't even know I was there. It might just slip in his morning orange juice. You should have listen to me when you had the chance. Now, you're slowly and painfully dying because of your dimwitted love for Jack. You should really stop being chummy with the Guardians. They don't want you. They just accepted you because of Jack. If it weren't for the boy, you're just a lowly human being." Aelius maniacally laughed out loud and it sickeningly resounded around the room, slapping Teddy on the face when the echo had the chance.

"What about… your, wife?" Teddy retorted even though she could feel the poison acting up. Aelius suddenly stopped in mid-laugh and shot her an disintegrating glare. "Don't you dare talk ill about sweet Valencia." He prodded his forefinger on her chest and she visibly winced, which Aelius smugly smirked at. "Why? Is it because she's human too?" Teddy half-heartedly provoked before closing her eyes completely. "Sweet dreams, Teddy." Aelius had the decency to bid her good night.

She heard the door loudly slammed shut. Teddy let out a forced laugh before suddenly screaming in pain when the poison eroded her body.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

First of all, I am deeply sorry for updating a day late. I had a splitting headache and writer's block. I wanted to delete this chapter completely but for the sake of you knowing what happen next, I uploaded it. There will come a time when I would read this and revise this but more of that later.

I clearly despised this chapter because 1. it was so hurriedly written, 2. Aelius is just plain evil and 3. it ruined my update schedule. But anyway… Isn't Leo adorable? Did you get the Leo part? Because he just shaped shifted into a lion. Get it? (insert snickering here) _I am so lame. _

Albeit, there is reason why I chose Leo to shape shift into a lion. Lions are powerful solar creatures and they are connected to the sun. Aelius and Leo are both summer spirits but Aelius is stronger so yeah, that's it. Leo's story will be explored in the Extras so stay tuned.

I just made the poison up, okay?

We have four (or more) OCs in this story. Teddy, Arthur, Leo and _someone _(not going to reveal his/her name yet). Mrs. Grace Bennett is canon because I only made up her first name. Celia is an OC but very, very minor. We might explore her side of the story in the Extras or a stand-alone story.

Read and review (shoots puppy-eyes look), (hands out cookies and virtual hugs).

Yours truly, Star.


	25. Adventures in Death Valley

_Guest__– I'm very sorry for the short chapter. I can't make the chapters extra long. My limit is up to 6,000 words or so. But thank you very much and here is the chapter._

_EmeraldRhino__– You'll get your cookie. Oh my god! Thank you veeeeeeeeeeeeery much! (insert hugs and kisses then fangirling and flailing) Here is the chapter. Enjoy!_

_XxSaphirezxX__– Really? Save your tears for the next chapter or so. There are going to be some heartbreaking moments. Thank you very much! Here is the next chapter! I actually loved writing Leo._

* * *

_"Death Valley, California. 36°14_′_49_″_N 116°49_′_01_″_W." Was elegantly written on the parchment. The hottest place on Earth and a winter spirit's worst nightmare._

"Crap." Jack cursed under his breath, the grip around his staff tightening. "What's wrong, Jack, my boy?" North turned around to glance at the dreadful winter spirit. "I…," He opened his mouth, closed it and pursed his lips, suddenly contemplating on whether to tell them or not. Jack decided with the latter. "It's nothing." The spirit let out a profound sigh as they exited Mother Nature's _calling _room. "You can tell us anything, Jack." Tooth fluttered beside him, eyeing him worriedly. Jack suddenly felt guilty and looked away.

Everyone noticed the sudden distance of the spirit so they kept their mouths shut. "It's just that…" The boy started again as they went through the entrance of Mother Nature's hideout and back to the bristlecone pine grove. They waited for Jack to continue while heading their way to the sleigh. "Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth." He finally finished while hopping in North's sleigh. "And so?" Bunny sat beside him, getting comfortable for the bumpy ride. Tooth shot him a warning look.

"I'm a winter spirit, Kangaroo! And winter spirits avoid hot places. I can't go near the equator without feeling woozy." He huffed, crossing his bony arms on his chest and his lower lip jutted into a pout. "Scared, Jackie boy?" Bunny poked Jack's pouted face and barked in laughter. "I am not!" The boy irritatedly exclaimed. "Yeah righ'. At least ya won't disturb me while I'm painting ta, OH SHIT." They all whipped around just as North grabbed the restraints of the reindeers.

"Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" Aster rapidly cussed under his breath while gripping his ears in annoyance. "What's wrong, Bunny?" Tooth grabbed the Pooka's shoulder but he won't stop grumbling under his breath. Sandy tried getting the rabbit's attention with his sand images, Jack don't know what to do and North seemed annoyed with the vulgar language Bunny is spitting. The _shits _soon escalated into Australian obscenities.

"Bunny, my friend." North stood in front of the muttering Pooka. It seemed that Bunny went into overdrive and in his own little world. "BUNNY." That made Aster shut up, looked perplexed and stared straight at his Russian friend. "Is something wrong?" North asked, eyeing his old friend worriedly. "Todah is ta day before Easta'." Everyone simultaneously stiffened. "I bloody haven't finish with painting ta eggs because I don't wanna abandon Teddy." Aster placed his curled paw under his chin and grumbled once more.

He is choosing his life's number one priority at the moment. Teddy's life or Easter Sunday slash the belief children have. Easter was ruined last year and lost him almost all of believers. Bunny can't afford to have a repetition. This is not so simple to the Pooka. "Don't worry about Teddy, Bunny. We'll take care of her. You can go back to the Warren and finish painting the eggs." Tooth smiled sweetly at him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder that had managed to seize the grumbling.

Bunnymund looked very skeptical but who can blame him? This is his deceased lover's daughter they are talking about! "Tooth's right, noh. We will handle this and you finish with your eggs. You can join us tomorrow. Easter night, da?" Saying North that he looked confident was an understatement. The rabbit stared at the rest of his fellow protectors. Sandy had a coaxing smile on his face, he noticed the same smug look on Frosbite's, Tooth looks very perky and reassuring and North is just plain sure about this whole damn thing!

"Aw'right, aw'right. Ya take care of Teddy, I'll take care of Easta'. But, let me make this clear, no one, I mean no one, beat the shit of Aelius without me, okay?" Bunny grinned a hesitant grin and all of them chuckled. "I can't make any promises, Bunny. You're old and grumpy. You might arrive late. And besides, he hurt my Teddy." Jack wickedly smirked at the Pooka, adjusting his conduit on his shoulder. "Never race a rabbit, mate." And with that, Aster saluted at all of them, tapped the ground twice and completely disappeared in his tunnel.

They watched the single pink flower bloomed from the ground before North whipped the reins, zooming them off into the air. "_My Teddy?_" Tooth smiled teasingly while Sandy wiggled his eyebrows. Jack turned dark blue and turned away, desperately trying to control his frosty blush. "I… It slipped. I swear!" Tooth and Sandy looked at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter, accompanied with the old Cossack. They are never going to let it down, do they?

* * *

The name may be forbidding and gloomy yet you can enjoy the view of colourful badlands, snow-coated peaks, beautiful sand dunes and rugged canyons.

Tooth and Sandy gasped at the picturesque view. Death Valley is located along the California and Nevada border, southeast of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It runs from north to south between the Amargosa Range on the east and the Panamint Range on the west. All in all, the valley is surrounded by vast mountain ranges. "Jack, Jack, Jack! Look!" Tooth violently shook the woozy boy for attention or therefore, lack of.

To say that it was hot was a freaking understatement! For most human beings, they can handle this temperature but Jack is undeniably not a human. He is the epitome of Winter. He controls ice, snow and frost. And what happen to the ice if you let it under the sun? It melts and that's what Jack feels like. Melting, inevitably melting and they haven't even landed yet!

"Tooth, let me peacefully sit here for a moment, will ya?" But the enthusiastic fairy paid him no indication that she heard was he had groggily said. "Jack, Jack, Jack! Look at those! Sand dunes!" Tooth seemed to have sound like a first-timer visitor of Death Valley or in any of the desert areas. True to what Tooth exclaimed, Death Valley is covered with a sea of sand. Prevailing winds would swept the grainy substance thus creating sand dunes. Sand dunes are very occurrent and popular in most desert areas.

"It's so hot!" The winter spirit complained to no one in particular. The frost melted from his hoodie, adding more weight to the clothing. Jack reluctantly removed the said hoodie but he felt so terribly hot after all. Death Valley, of course, is the hottest place on Earth. The hottest air temperature ever recorded in the valley was 134ºF or 57ºC on July 10, 1913. Death Valley has a subtropical desert climate. Long, extremely hot summers, mild winters and little rainfall occur in the valley.

"Wow! Death Valley is so beautiful!" Tooth threw yet another enthusiastic first-timer compliment. Golden Carpet, Napkin Ring Buckwheat, Rock Lady, Death Valley Sticky Ring, Panamint Daisy and Death Valley Sage are in bloom in summer, transforming the desert into a vast garden. "Did you know that the greatest number of consecutive days with a maximum temperature of 100ºF or above was 154 days in the summer of 2001?" Jack only groaned at the unresponsive question, Sandy gave the hummingbird two thumbs up while North stared at the road slash sky ahead.

"Jack, look! The valley floor looks like it's shimmering!" Tooth pointed out a forefinger down below the sleigh but the winter spirit gave no indication to move from his current position. True to what Tooth exclaimed, on any given summer day, the valley floor shimmers silently in the heat.

The Wind gently ruffled the boy's hair, soothing the nauseated friend. With only his old white shirt left, Jack tried to create frost to cool himself down but it easily melted, making the shirt grow heavier again. "North, are we going to land yet?" The winter spirit asked incoherently. The Russian laughed his jolly laughed, turned around and winked at the boy. "Almost there, Jack." The boy's response was another exasperated groan.

"So North," Tooth finally sat down after the ecstatic sightseeing, "where are going to start searching for Aelius' hideout?" The man took a minute to reply. "Mother Nature never gave us ze exact location so what have you read about Death Valley, Tooth?" This made the hummingbird perked up and clasped her hands in merriment. "Oh, oh, oh. I think we could start looking at Death Valley's Devil's Hole." Her wings buzzed even more loudly, annoying Jack to the fullest.

The hyper hummingbird helped North with the directions while Jack feverishly slept through the dizziness and hotness of the valley. They soon descended and hopped out off the sleigh, with the occasional stumbling of Jack. Sandy, the little man he was, tried to help Jack stand up straight but the boy only toppled over his little body. North carried the boy in a piggyback's style and they started their search for Aelius' hideout.

They finally encountered Devil's Hole. Devil's Hole is a water filled cavern cut into the side of the hill. The cavern is over 500 ft. (or 152 m) deep and the bottom has never been mapped. Devil's hole is the habitat of endangered Devil Hole's pupfish or _Cyprinodon diabolis. _Devil's Hole is a part of the Ash Meadows' complex. It is the discharge point for a groundwater system extending over a hundred miles to the northeast.

Toothiana fluttered near the opening and went inside. She came out afterwards, looking claustrophobic. "I don't think Aelius would build a hideout here. There is, after all, water and the cavern is very deep." So they put an X on Devil's Hole on their invisible list. The Guardians went back to the sleigh and travelled by air, occasionally looking down while on the look out for any possible place where Aelius would build his hideout.

Sandy alerted the Guardians and pointed at Badwater Basin. In 2005, a big pool of greenish water can be seen all the way across the valley and was named Lake Badwater since it resided on Badwater Basin. Lake Badwater, unfortunately, was long gone by February 2007. Badwater Basin is one example of Death Valley's salt pans. Death Valley contains salt pans. As the area turned to a desert, the water evaporated, leaving behind the abundance of evaporitic salts such as common sodium salts and borax. Badwater Basin is one example of Death Valley's salt pans.

They thoroughly skimmed through the area but found none. They went back to sleigh, looking hopeful as always and fly all over Death Valley. "We have one last place on our list." Tooth mumbled while gazing below. "What is the last one?" Jack coherently asked. The boy finally have some focus after he was constantly breezed by the summer breeze. "Death Valley is the home of thousands of abandoned mines."

Mining is also known in Death Valley. Since the 1848 discovery of gold in California, Death Valley experienced over 140 years of boom and bust mining. One of the earliest successful mining operations was the Harmony Borax Works which was active from 1883 to 1888. Twenty Mule Team Wagons were used to transport the partially refined borax.

"No! Thousands, literally? We're not gonna make it in time!" The Guardians were astonished by the sudden outburst of the boy. They have to admit that the heat drained the spirit's energy to the last drop. "We're going to find Teddy, Sweet Tooth. We just need Bunny, that's all." The fairy put a reassuring hand that Jack stared at. He mutely nodded and went back to his incoherent state.

After all, some mines are quite dangerous and there can be poison cyanide inside, unstable rafters and floors. If one get hurts inside a mine, it can be days or never before someone finds you. "We go back to ze Pole." North announced to no one in particular and whipped his reindeers' resistants, speeding them up. "We can't go back. What about Teddy?! Every minute we wasted, she slowly slips through our fingers!" Jack angrily exclaimed. "We know but we need rest, Jack. You also. We can't just fight Aelius tired and incoherent." North had an annoyingly good point and that made Jack shut up.

Tooth started the conversation about Death Valley's history. There are four Native American cultures that are known to have lived in Death Valley during the last 10,000 years or so. The first known group are the Nevares Spring People who arrived in the area 9,000 years ago. By 5,000 years ago, the Mesquite Flat People arrived. Around 2,000 years ago, the Saratoga Spring People moved into the area. They left mysterious stone patterns in the valley. The last known group is the nomadic Timbisha. They arrived 1,000 years ago.

They never knew that Sandy loves legends as he suddenly brought them up. There had been legends going around Death Valley. For example, in 1969, serial killer Charles Manson somehow believed that Devil's Hole was the portal to an underground portal. In 1920, Tom Wilson, a Cahroc Indian who was a Death Valley guide said that his grandfather told him that he had found a tunnel that extended miles beneath the valley. Wilson's grandfather ended up in an underground chamber where a race of fair-skinned people dwelt. He was welcomed by these subterranean humanoids and live with them for a while.

In 1931, a Ohio physician also discovered a series of complex tunnels deep below Death Valley. He said that the caves contained the skeletons of several gigantic men, around nine feet in height. Lastly, years ago, someone was driving through this range in his Jeep when he came to a group of boulders blocking the road. He parked the vehicle and found a narrow pass and walked down into a valley where he saw 300 wooden buildings half covered by sand dues. There were no human remains and no signs of violence or natural disaster.

There are a lot of legends going around Death Valley. Death Valley is one of the mysterious places on Earth.

* * *

And so, they went home. The two Guardians slept anxiously through the night while the other two returned to their duties, awoken by the rising sun and eat breakfast. Jack barely touched his food. "Jack, you need to eat. You need your strength." Tooth implied while munching her fruits and sipping her nectar. "Tooth's right, you know." North added while ravenously eating his chocolate chip cookies. Sandy nodded and sipped his second eggnog and devoured his third set of heavily syrupy waffles.

It's not that Jack doesn't want to eat but the fact that his breakfast is bothering him. He stared blankly at his platter and in return, the pancakes stared at him. It was the same meal he and Teddy shared. The same type of pancakes, same type of syrup and butter and the same time of orange juice. Jack picked up his fork and glumly ate his breakfast. The rest of the Guardians cheered and suddenly paying each other play money.

They betted over how many times they need to prod Jack to eat breakfast. (_What? They needed some fun in this distressful task. Mission. Thing._) The three of them would coax Jack and that's sums up to one prod. Tooth betted one, North betted five while Sandy betted that they need to get Bunny in order for Jack to eat. Tooth won, much to the two male Guardians' dismay. "Don't underestimate a woman's intuition." She playfully winked.

They waited for night to befall and Jack distractedly gave the last snow day all over the Southern Hemisphere. He came back the same time Bunny arrived. The dear Pooka looked ghastly but determined. They wasted no time and headed to the sleigh, flying back to Death Valley. Jack sighed in utter relief. It may be hot in the day but it was cold in the night. Bunny burred at the slightest of cold while Jack teased him by making it extra cold.

The Guardians descended to the nearest abandoned mine they found and Bunny started sniffing. It took them 30 sleigh rides, 40 sniffing and, 65 guessing but they finally found the right mine. "This place reeks of magic." Bunny plainly commented, his nose twitching ever so slightly. Jack Frost was about to enter the mine but Aster stopped him with his furry arm. "Careful, mate. This mine reeks of cyanide as well."

_*_Cyanide are highly toxic. If cyanide is inhaled, it causes a coma with seizures, apnea and cardiac arrest, with death following in a matter of minutes. At lower doses, loss of consciousness preceded by general weakness, giddiness, headaches, vertigo, confusion and perceived difficulty in breathing. At the first stages of unconsciousness, breathing is often sufficient or even rapid, although the state of the victim progresses towards a deep coma, sometimes accompanied by pulmonary edema and finally cardiac arrest. Skin colour goes blue as well.

"You're underestimating me Cottontail." Jack mischievously grinned causing Bunny to cock an eyebrow. "Yer underestimating the mine, Frosty." They entered the mine, covering their mouths. Bunny can't use his nose so they blinded navigated through the mine. They easily spotted an illusion that only immortals can go through. They went in and yet nothing happened. Bunny found it very odd. Someone or an animal was supposed to sound an alarm that there was an intrusion. The Pooka inwardly gulped but nonetheless sniffed, the cyanide only faintly smelled through the illusion.

They basically tore the place upside down before finding a hallway with a lot of is it. There's no turning back. They are going to find both Aelius and Teddy, no matter what it takes. Aster opened the first door with a loud bang.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Status: Unedited. Dang cliffhanger! And I am deeply sorry for the somewhat unnecessary geography and history lesson. I just want to you all tell a little bit about Death Valley, hihi. I am sorry for the late update because 1. I had my eyes check because I need to get glasses; 2. I need to do research; 3. I had writer's block.

My references:

1. ehow dot com/facts_5292477_death-valley-located-california dot html

2. www dot nps dot gov/deva/naturescience/sand-dunes dot htm

3. gocalifornia dot about dot com/od/cadeathvalley/qt/where-is-death-valley dot htm

4. www dot nps dot gov/deva/naturescience/devils-hole dot htm

5. www dot nps dot gov/deva/naturescience/mining-in-death-valley dot htm

6. michaelleggero dot wordpress dot com/2010/12/04/death-valley-photography-trave/

7. www dot nps dot gov/deva/naturescience/weather-and-climate dot htm

8. *en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Cyanide_poisoning (I cannot revise the whole paragraph so it's from this website entirely)

9. en dot wikipedia dot org/wiki/Death_Valley_National_Park

10. www dot nps dot gov/deva/naturescience/geology dot htm

11. www dot nps dot gov/deva/naturescience/index dot htm

12. weirdus dot com/states/california/fabled_people_and_places/dea th_valley/index dot php

13. mysteriousuniverse dot org/2012/03/the-death-valley-giants/

References are important after all. For some clarifications, leave a review. We're almost to 100 reviews so review my dear readers, followers, those who favorite-d and those who are lurking in the shadows.

Yours truly, Star.


	26. Your Worst Nightmare

_EmeraldRhino__– I hope this is a good twist (?) I know, I swear if Teddy is awake right now then she would strangle me to death because well, I am killing her. Ooh! I actually had a hard time writing the legends but yey, someone actually liked it. Some of it gave me goosebumps. You're welcome and some of your questions will be finally answered. Enjoy!_

_DakotaDog612__– I know right. I really love writing Tooth's perky and sometimes oblivious character. Enjoy the chapter!_

_Chocolate Spirit__– Thank you and chill because here it is!_

* * *

Pitch looked like a Death Eater late to an important meeting. He jumped from one building to another, covered in black wisps of shadows and sand. The clock is ticking, the hands striking eight o' clock sharp. He could smell a large amount of fear but he could not pinpoint where. It's like a light bulb, flickering on and off. He scurried the whole area whilst trying to find even one speck of Teddy's nightmares. He heard a high-pitched scream, a scream that only he can hear.

The Nightmare King eyed the vast, sandy Death Valley with keen yellow eyes. He concentrated his detecting power outside of the town. "Where are you?" Pitch muttered under his breath. Another scream echoed in his ears. The horrific sound resonated from the north and he jumped off from his current rooftop. He thoroughly followed it and he felt the fear and nightmares intensified.

He plummeted to the ground and landed in front of an abandoned mine shaft. He smelt cyanide emitting from the mine and slightly frowned. He entered it without caution, his ash-colored hand on his mouth and nose. Pitch sprinted, his eyes moving rapidly for something evidently magic. He found a barrier, an illusion of a wall. Pitch went through and a screeching salamander suddenly penetrated his ears. He swung his scythe in irritation, impaling the reptile.

Pitch was back on his tracks, following the strong fear coming from somewhere. He moved to a maze of hallways and doors, opening some of it to find out it were empty. The Boogeyman suddenly paused in front of a door with vine-like carvings and magic protecting it from intruders. It was an easy job for him to disable the protective charm. The door automatically swung open and his jaw fell on the ground.

Before him was a Nightmare. A gigantic Nightmare, ranging from seven feet tall and growing. The sand it took form was an oni, its skin reddish-black. An oni is a yokai, a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. Onis are variously translated as demons, devils, ogres or trolls. Onis are depicted as gigantic-ogre like creatures with wild hair, sharp claws and two long horns growing from their heads. They are humanoids but sometimes they have an odd number of eyes and extra fingers and toes. Their skin varying from different colors but blue and red are most common.

They are often depicted wearing tiger-skin loincloth and carrying a _kanabo. _Kanabo is a spiked or knobbed club made out of iron used by the Japanese warriors. Pitch cussed under his breath. He needs to dissipate the monster before it grows bigger but he has to distract it first. Nightmares like these are creations of humans or spirits therefore not created by the Boogeyman himself. The creatures the sand take form may vary. Some might take a shape of a human, a dangerous animal or god. Teddy's Nightmare is an oni.

These Nightmares are a special kind in a morbid sort of way. It only happens on rare occasions and only a few people witnessed it. Nightmares created by humans and spirits (that aren't the Boogeyman) came from their worst nightmares and fears. This will only appear when the dreamer can't wake up and temporarily or permanently trapped in his or her sleep. This type of Nightmare is some sort of venting machine where humans and spirits extract their fears and worst nightmares from their minds. When the mind cannot hold the fear any longer, it needed a conduit to extract the said fear. An example: you scream at the top of your lungs when you saw something horrifying. If the mind cannot find a conduit, it's going to make one thus these rare Nightmares existed. Minds work in a complicated way.

As said from before, this can only happen when the dreamer cannot wake up and or trapped in his or her sleep, whether temporarily or not. Most people in comatose experienced it especially when they landed in a traumatic one. Pitch closed the door quietly, not wanting to disturb the oni. These Nightmares are very overprotective when it comes to their masters.

Hastened footsteps echoed around the rafters and the floors as Pitch tries to find Aelius' sleep quarters or office. The summer spirit also has an immense kind of fear. He tries to push it at back of his mind but it always creep back and Pitch loves those kinds of fear. Aelius feared that someone might end up like him. Going crazy because they could not resurrect his or her lover back. Therefore, the spirits strayed away from acquaintances or secret lovers.

The Boogeyman stood in front of a door with a sleepy sun elegantly carved on the wood. He smiled maliciously and the door quietly swung open. The room was dimly lit and so Pitch took it to his advantage. He merged with the shadows and slowly crept to edge of the bed. Aelius soundly slept and even snuggled on his side pillow. The Nightmare King found it a disgusting sight. First, he gave the summer spirit a little nightmare.

A nightmare in which relives the death of his lover, Valencia. Aelius' face contorted into something akin to suffering and loss. He tossed and turned, the blanket untangling from his body. He suddenly jolted up, clutching his chest and breathing rapidly. Pitch then shoved him onto the wall. "Pitch Black." Aelius managed to greet but his onyx eyes dilated in cowardice. "I'm going slit your throat and I'm going to do it slowly and painfully as I could manage." A black scythe formed around Pitch's hand and held the blade near Aelius' throat.

"Why are you doing this?" Aelius asked out of confusion, not of horror. The Nightmare King only squinted his eyes menacingly. "You hurt the girl and so you're going to pay." Pitch coolly replied. "Why do you care for this girl?" The summer spirit asked and Pitch pressed Aelius on the wall even more. The man gulped, feeling intimidated and embarrassed. "That is none of your business," The dark specter slowly press the blade on the man's throat, "shall we?" The door suddenly burst open.

* * *

_Aster opened the first door with a loud bang._

Empty. Groan. Empty. Shriek in frustration. Full of storage food. _Will salvage later, I am in fact hungry._ The search is getting more annoying every second they waste. Rooms that are empty. Doors that lead to a hallway full of doors. They were trapped in a maze of identical hallways and empty rooms. North suggested they should spread out and all of them reluctantly agreed. As far as they're concerned, no one lis the idea of getting separated from one another. They were an odd number so Tooth and Sandy took the east hallway of the mine, Jack and Bunny took the north while North ventured the south hallway alone.

They arranged a call signal if one or two of them found something or had gotten hurt. The hallways were echoey and thank MiM that they aren't that much of a bad luck. "Hey, Furball. Why don't ya sniff Aelius out?" Jack asked whilst floating beside the bunny running in all fours. Aster shot him an unamused look but nonetheless, responded. "This is Aelius' hideout, righ'?" Jack nodded, "his scent is scattered all around the place because he roams around. Who doesn't move around his own place, anyway." Bunny had an annoyingly good point.

"How about Teddy, then?" Jack once again asked after opening a random door. The rabbit lowered his head. "I can't smell her." _Oh. _Jack believed that the reason Bunny cannot smell Teddy because he either forgot or that she was probably be dead already. Both of them fell into an awkward silence when Bunny suddenly halted.

The boy perplexedly looked at him. "What? Something wrong?" The Pooka shushed him and sniffed the air as vigorously as he could. His eyes widened a fraction and was sprinting once again. "Call the others!" Bunny hastily ordered. The winter spirit whistled a four note tune, the sound echoing around the hallways. The rest will soon catch up. "What did you smell?" Jack worriedly asked. "Pitch." The hellion's eyes wide a fraction.

"Why is Pitch here? How did you know that it was him?" Bunny actually laughed at the spirit's inquiry. "I don't know but I know Pitch's smell. Smells like rotten apples, sand and evilness." Jack grinned at the explanation, finding Pitch's smell quite funny. The rabbit halted in front of a room with a carved sleepy sun on the door's wood. Aster opened it with a loud bang. The rest of the Guardians arrived behind them and all of their eyes were wide as saucers.

There, Aelius and Pitch stood. The summer spirit was pinned on the wall by the Boogeyman, cowering from the grey man's intimidating height. Pitch's scythe blade was millimetres away from the crazy seasonal spirit's throat. Aelius still managed to gulp. The Nightmare King noticed their arrival and quickly released the man. Aelius buckled and slid to the floor, looking stunned and humiliated. Pitch glared at the Guardians, waved off his scythe, nod at them and disappeared into the shadows. The Boogeyman almost indicated that _Aelius is all yours._

Before Aelius could regain his composure, he was once again slammed on the wall, this time by Bunny. The Pooka squinted his spring green eyes, forming it into a disintegrating glare. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Teddy." Aster growled every word, venom leaking from every syllable. Aelius only smugly smirked and Bunny almost wanted to punch him on the face but he needed answers first. "She's dead, Bunnymund." Aelius simply replied. The summer spirit immediately regretted his words as he was thrown out of his quarters and went through the other door on the other side of the hallway.

The Guardians could hear the wood break into splinters as Aelius went through the door because of the impact. "Remind me not to get on your super bad side." Jack still managed to joke and Bunny grinned a malicious grin. "You betta hide your frosty ass, Snowflake." Aster went to the opposite room, releasing his boomerangs from its sheaths. He agilely swung the wooden weapons and heard a satisfied _oomph _when came in contact. North unsheathed his two swords and handed one to Toothiana who smirked devilishly. Sandy created sand whips from his palms while Jack brought his staff in an attacking stance.

The dust from Bunny's throw dispersed and a maddening chuckle erupted from the crazy spirit. "Why care for a pathetic human girl?" Aelius drawled in while throwing Bunny's boomerang back to him. "Are ya talking 'bout yerself?" Aster retorted, catching the flying boomerang with ease. Before Aelius could answer, an ice tiger suddenly roared past Bunny. Aster looked flabbergasted and turned around to see Jack with a darkened look. Something so rare that you did not expect to see it from the hellion. It almost hit the opponent but Aelius just brought out his hands and the tiger melted on his touch. "You're opposing a summer spirit, Jackson."

"Don't fucking call me that!" Jack shot twenty ice daggers but it only melted when got in contact with Aelius' invisible heated barrier. "Sad that you won't see your precious teddy bear again." The laughter echoed around the empty room but was abruptly cut when Sandy grabbed Aelius' ankle by his whip and slammed him on the wall. The throw created a huge crater and all of the Guardians gulped. Sandy is one powerful little man. You should not underestimate him.

Aelius coughed while bringing himself back on the flat surface. Two fiery lions stood on each side of him. He sent him one off and Jack and Bunny sprinted from their place. Bunny hit the lion on the belly while Jack extinguished it with his ice. It caused an explosion that hit both parties. Bunny and Jack's skin were charred from the hot creature while Aelius' skin sizzled from the ice that hurtled on his tunic. "The best thing about her is her lips. Those luscious lips that I got to kiss."

_Oh, a low blow. _The winter spirit glared menacingly at the summer spirit. He sent a frost-made polar bear that was countered by Aelius' fiery phoenix. Another explosion shook the room. "I never got to kiss her on the lips and you did? How dare you!" Jack shouted angrily and whipped as many ice daggers as he could make. Aelius laughed maniacally and formed burning arrows behind him. "How sad. I got to touch her chest, by the way." All of the Guardians' eyes widened in shock. _Did he…?_

Bunny suddenly tackled him, making them collide on the floor. He punched the man square on the face and then again and then again. "Fuck you." Aster glowered and land another blow on Aelius' pretty face. "Bunny!" Tooth suddenly shouted and the Pooka whipped around to see arrows pointed at him. He was caught off guard and the arrows hurtled to his stiffened posture. There was another loud explosion. Tooth's hands covered his gaping mouth, North looked appalled while Sandy and Jack devilishly smirked.

When the smoke cleared out, the Guardians saw a barrier made of clear ice and golden sand. It easily dissipated and thankfully, Bunny was unharmed. Aelius found his moment and kick Bunny's chest off guardedly. Aster skidded near his companions and Tooth helped him to stand up. "Did you know that Teddy's screams are so melodic?" Tooth nimbly fluttered in front of him, her borrowed sword near Aelius' neck. "You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach." Tooth said in a dangerously low voice.

"Now, now, Toothiana. We should simply calm down." Before the fairy could decipher what's happening, she was tackled by a burning eagle. Her feathers were crisp and charred as she stood beside the worried Guardians. "I'm fine." She reassuringly whispered. "Giving up?" Aelius boringly checked his fingernails. "Neva'!" Bunny shouted and threw another boomerang. A flash of blue and yellow hit Aelius while he returned it with fiery red, orange and yellow. Swords clanged against one another. Boomerangs hit the opponent but no one was about to back out.

Aelius expertly countered Jack's ice with his fire. He defended himself from North and Tooth's sword with only just a dagger. He jumped from Sandy's reach and swiftly dodged Bunny's kicks and boomerangs. Aelius may be crazy but he was a skilled spirit. Both parties are getting exhausted and Aelius was near to losing. Even though he is smart and quick and fire by his side, he was outnumbered and he was fighting the Guardians of Childhood.

He brought out the last trick from his sleeve. All of them panted from tiredness, especially Bunny who was fighting the bastard just after Easter. "Giving up?" Jack mischievously mocked but he too was exhausted. "I rather die than give up!" Aelius shouted and slammed his hands on the floor. Nothing happened and Jack actually laughed jokingly. "Wow, Aelius. Tired much?" The spirit only smirked and Jack suddenly felt hot. The frost from his hoodie melted and he started to sweat. _This is bad._

Jack leaned on his staff for support as he grew tired by the minute. The room was getting hotter and hotter and he wanted to get out. "What's," he gasped out, "going on?" Aelius maddeningly cackled. They didn't know what's happening but the room was getting hotter. North shrugged off his coat, Tooth fanned her face with the use her own hand, Bunny wanted to tear his fur off while Sandy looked confused. Bunny ran in all fours and started attacking the man but he found himself nauseated from the heat.

A puddle started to form under Jack's bare feet, Tooth stopped flying and looked extremely tired, North looked flushed while Bunny breathed out in pants. "It's hot." Tooth said to one in particular. Aelius once again cackled. "You see, with my seasonal powers, I just brought the temperature up. It is now currently 50 degrees celsius." The summer spirit simply explained, looking unfazed from the heat. With a thud, Jack fainted from the heat, North and Tooth were unable to move due to exerting a lot more heat, Bunny yawned loudly while Sandy glared at the man.

Sandy was the only one unaffected from the heat. It might the fact that he was neither hot nor cold. Also the fact that sun and sand are somewhat connected. "Look like the Sandman is the only one left." Aelius quickly waved a burning dragon towards the golden man. Sandy created a sand barrier and while Aelius is distracted, he grabbed the man by his ankle, slam him multiple times on both walls and floor. The little man created a lot craters and the temperature slowly dropped.

With one last hit, he slammed the summer spirit on the ground and heard a satisfied groan. North and Tooth sighed in relief, feeling the slightly cold temperature coming from the mine. Bunny was back from his dazed self but Jack looked sick. The Guardians worriedly kneeled around the spirit. North removed the hoodie from the boy's body, not failing to notice the hellion's skinniness. Sandy wrapped Aelius in a tight sand wrapping and floated the mummified body beside him.

Tooth fanned Jack with her wings while Bunny wiped the sweat from the boy's forehead. "ASTER!" Someone suddenly screamed and everybody whipped around. It echoed around the room, slapping them from their trance. Jack suddenly jolted up, uttering the word that brought dread to the Guardians. "Teddy."

* * *

They followed where the scream emanated. They encountered a door with vine-like carvings and Aster slammed the door open. They all gulped at the sight. In front of them was a twelve-feet tall reddish-black oni. It has two horns perched on his head, a human-like face and sharp fangs. Its beady yellow eyes gleamed menacingly as his grip tightened around his iron-made club. A strip of tiger skin loincoth covered his groin with a thick rope tied around his waist. "What is that?" Jack squeaked out, his hoodie tied around his waist. "It's a Nightmare." North replied in a hush tone.

They leaned on their side and saw what the oni was guarding; Teddy hanged limply on the wall, her face contorted in pain. "It's Teddy's creation." Tooth implied, covering her gaping mouth. "How can this be her creation?! She's not Pitch!" Bunny gestured at the unmoving oni. It would most likely attack if either they attack him or try to get to Teddy. "I don't know but I think, Teddy's having the worst nightmares thus creating this. If she was trapped in her sleep, the nightmares would be reoccurring. The worst the nightmare gets, the bigger this creature gets." Tooth explained, looking pale and slightly scared.

"You mean it's like Teddy's venting created this?" Jack gestured at the large oni. Sandy nodded and formed symbols above his head. _"She can't hold back the pain and so she needs a conduit to release it." _Jack and Bunny both cocked an eyebrow. "What Sandy said is true. Teddy can't find possible conduit so she makes her own." North's accent thickened, gripping the hilt of his sword, making his knuckle white as snow. "We have to kill this so tat we could get ta Teddy." Bunny informed and unsheathed his boomerangs.

"We can't defeat it as long as Teddy is sleeping and the oni's guarding her." Tooth countered back but Bunny only smirked, a clear evidence that he has a plan, a wicked one. "Nah, shiela. I know wat ta do." Jack and Sandy glanced at each other and ignorantly shrugged. North laughed his jolly laugh but Tooth looked skeptical. "I don't know about this." The fairy countered back. "Oh c'mon Toothy. Us men will be ta distraction 'n ya flutter to Teddy and sooth her, okay?" Before Tooth could answer, Bunny threw his boomerang, hitting the oni's belly.

The oni squinted at them and roared loudly, making the room shook. They all covered their ears but nonetheless, attacked. Jack smirked at Tooth before blasting ice on the oni's shoulder and it staggered a bit. Sandy threw North like a cannonball and the Cossack landed roughly on the creature's head. "YEEHAW!" The Russian laughed boisterously, grabbing both the oni's horns as it tried to get him off. Bunny chuckled and jumped up, landing a punch on the oni's gut. "NOW TOOTH!" The hummingbird suddenly panicked but fluttered towards Teddy without the Nightmare noticing.

Teddy looked like a broken doll. Her sweater was charred and her pants dirty. Blood continuously trickled from both her mouth and closed eyes. Tooth shut her own eyes, visibly horrified. Teddy's shoulders looked oddly angled and her breathing laboured. She kept muttering something. Tooth somehow found a handkerchief from the girl's pocket and gently wiped the blood from her face. "Teddy, you're gonna be okay." The fairy soothingly said. "M… m, mu… Mum?" The girl incoherently mumbled.

Tooth decided to lie. It might not have been a complete one since she felt a mother-mode rise whenever Teddy is hurt or in danger. The fairy didn't knew that even though Teddy considered her as her girl friend, she looked upon her as a mother-like figure as well. "Yes, sweetie. Mommy is here. You're gonna be okay. We're here to save you." The hummingbird continued to wipe the girl's face. Tooth turned around to see her soothing was ineffective, the oni still standing strong and fighting the men.

"It's all my fault." Teddy silently muttered. "No, no, no, sweetie. It's no one's fault. No one's blaming you. Don't blame yourself. We're here for you. We love you so much. You're going to be safe," Tooth found herself crying, "Bunny's here. Jack's here. Sandy's here. North's here. I'm here." She wiped the bloody tears from the girl's cheeks.

Teddy's face scrunched in a mix of pain, anger, guilt, loss, dread, loneliness and horror. She started screaming and thrashing her legs and head, making the oni bulkier and stronger than before. "Shh, shh, honey. It's going to be alright. Mommy's here." Tooth cupped the girl's bloody face and she momentarily stopped thrashing. The growth of the oni came to a stop and the men continued attacking. Bunny kicked and threw a boomerang, North swung his sword and punched, Sandy tried turning the Nightmare sand into Dream sand and Jack sent a lot of ice creatures. Ranging from polar bears to cheetahs. From rhinos to dragons.

"I was too late." Teddy once again muttered and Tooth keep whispering sweet nothings. She hugged the girl's head and kissed her forehead every time. Teddy kept muttering _I was too late _like a mantra and tears streamed down her face. The fairy kept wiping them and decided to use another tactic. She tried placing her hand on Teddy's forehead and find the happiest of memories the girl got but the nightmares won't let her in, forming a sturdy barrier around her friend's mind.

Teddy violently trembled, as if the harsh cold had just embraced her. The rest of the Guardians looked terribly exhausted. Sandy kept attacking with his sand whips, North continued swinging his sword on the oni, Jack sent ice daggers, piercing the oni's shoulders while Bunny kept kicking and punching but in the verge of fainting. Tooth kissed both of Teddy's cheeks and continued whispering sweet nothings.

"Teddy, wake up. We really miss you. You missed Easter, hun, but I know Bunny has some extra eggs and we could go Easter egg hunting. Jack has something to tell you, by the way. It's going to make you happy and relieved. North wanted you to listen to this new band that he discovered. Sandy wanted for you to hang out with him in his scouts. I want to share girly talk and have tea with me. We really miss you. We really do. Please wake up, Teddy. Please. We love you so much. You're family to us so please be okay. We love you, Teddy." The sleeping girl stopped trembling and looked somewhat distraught.

Tooth sighed in distress, knowing that her soothing was worthless, and herself as well. Teddy suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs. "EAMON!" Bunny paused mid-kick and looked shellshocked while the others looked undeniably confused. A few droplets of water formed from Aster's eyes. "EAMON!" She shouted again but this time, the oni burst into nothing but black sand. It looks like something akin to falling stars. Something that you found beautiful and morbid at the same time. They all sighed in utter relief but Teddy was still trapped in her sleep. Sandy handed the key that he got from Aelius' pocket to Toothiana and she unlocked the cuffs around Teddy's reddish wrists.

The girl unceremoniously dropped on the floor, catching all of them off guard. "Oops." Bunny tiredly hopped towards her side but Jack was faster. He engulfed the girl in a chilly embrace. Teddy's eyes abruptly fluttered open and focused on the yellowish-whiteness of Jack's shirt and the silver locket around his neck. She blinked a couple of times before pushing Jack away. The winter spirit looked perplexed and hurt and Teddy looked downright scared. Teddy slipped into unconsciousness and Bunny caught her before she hit the ground. "Where's... Leo?" She mumbled in her half-asleep state.

Bunny cocked an eyebrow and stared at the rest of the Guardians who simply shrugged in ignorance. "LEO!" Teddy suddenly screamed, the name echoing around the almost empty room. Teddy was like the wind trying to enter a household, going in and out of consciousness. She shrieked once again, her hands trying to remove the sweater from around her chest. "Hurts…" She muttered and tossed and turned, causing for Aster to drop her again.

The Pooka picked her up again, much to Jack's protests. Tooth placed a reassuring hand on the boy while North grabbed a snow globe from his pocket. "Santoff Claussen infirmary." He hastily whispered and fling the orb in front of them. He could pick the sleigh later. Teddy's well being is more important than some vehicle. A portal immediately opened and they all one by one stepped in. Sandy retrieved Aelius and entered the portal quietly. All of the Guardians arrived in Santoff Claussen, not before hearing Teddy howled in anguish again.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Hello everyone! Did anybody cry because of the heartbreaking Tooth and Teddy moment? Pass the tissues around!

I really loved writing Pitch's perspective but the second part, I felt it's so rushingly made! Oh well, what do you think? Will Teddy survive from both the poison and the nightmares? Is she going to die? Will she create another Nightmare? Will Pitch reveal to the Guardians that he was actually there to kill Aelius because he hurt his precious little Teddy? What made Teddy push Jack away? What about Leo who was left behind? Who is this _Eamon_? Will they get the food from Aelius' storage room? (_lol_) What have you notice from the chapter? (the smallest of details: there are two actually)

I would like some of you (or all of you) predict what's going to happen next. The questions above will guide you with your guesses. Please put it in your review. If you're correct then… it's a surprise! We're almost near to a hundred folks and maybe the hundredth reviewer will get something as well. By the way, I'm just curious but if I ask you to write a one-shot between Teddy and any of the rest of the characters, would you write one? Please state your answer on your review.

Also, I hope you like the oni part. I made it up by myself. I'm still thinking of a name to call them. Any suggestions? For some clarifications, comments, rants, review okay. Good night and the next update will be on the 10th and I'm not going to be late (cross fingers)!

Yours truly, Star.


	27. Eamon's Bravery

_EmeraldRhino__– I know right. You'll see. The two smallest details are, as what Guest pointed out, is a Harry Potter reference. I made Tooth said, "You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach." The second detail is that Bunny was sleepy when Aelius raised the temperature to 50ºC. My headcanon is that Bunny feels sleepy whenever it is hot. He hates Jack for disturbing him when he is in the Warren while it's summer. Bunny loves to sleep. Nope, you're not dumb or blind. Thank you and here is the chapter!_

_Xion5__– We'll see. I won't let Leo out of this. Here is the next chapter!_

_Guest__– You're right. I did a Harry Potter reference. It was fun imagining Tooth saying that. Thank you and here is the next chapter._

_ViviBright16__– Congratulations for being my 100th reviewer. Thank you very much and I agree, Leo is adorable. Here it is. Enjoy!_

_Chocolate Spirit__– Lol. Here is the next chapter._

_LittleRedRiddingWolf__– You'll see. Here's the chapter!_

* * *

_What did I do? _She asked herself. _Why am I even here? _She doesn't deserve any of this. She doesn't deserve to be chained up on a wall. She doesn't deserve to be tainted. She doesn't deserve for these reoccurring nightmares. She doesn't deserve to forcefully drank the poison. She doesn't deserve the burning pain. Maybe God hated her.

She lost her mother when she was 11 years old. She was abused by her father for five years. She was uncared for. She was thrown like some kid's broken toy. Irreparable. Useless. Gone. What more does God need to do for her to open her eyes? It was widely open. She saw through the lies and deceit. She saw the importance of a family. She saw that some things are not according to plan. _Do I deserve this? _She asked herself.

A scream suddenly reverberated around the room. She was in pain. The poison travelled like a train. Never stopping until it reach its destination. Teddy could feel every ounce of pain in her body. She felt like she was put in an oven. Her insides felt like they were burning and sizzling. Putting alcohol on a wound is painful but this is beyond the capabilities of a human. She was lucky that her heart is still beating.

Will she lived through this madness? Yes, er, no, ugh, maybe. Does it matter? Would there be a happily ever after after this shit? Would she get to tell Jack about her feelings for him? Would she get to tell Bunny that she wanted him to be her father? Would she get to thank North for everything he had done for her? Would she get to thank Sandy for being there and give her dreams whenever she needs it? Would she get to thank Tooth for being such an awesome girl friend and mother-like figure?

Would she get to take Leo out of this horrible place? Would she get to thank Pitch for being her best friend and confidant? There are so many things she's going to miss. She would not celebrate her 17th birthday. She would not get to go to prom. She would never get to graduate. Is this what dying feels like? Knowing that you're not going to say this and you're not going to experience this? Teddy unknowingly let out blood-curling scream.

Does dying make you regret what you have done in the past? Does dying bring you the full definition of pain and suffering? Yes, it does. She actually felt the poison envading her head as it started to pound vigorously. Did she regret meeting Jack? Partially. If she didn't meet Jack then she would not be caught up with this mess. She violently shook her head, trying to retain her consciousness. Is she sure about this? She really love the boy. Is this what dying makes her? An impassive bitch?

Teddy tried to focus on something. Something that would enable her to stay awake. She found nothing. She let out another howl of anguish. This poison is probably the worst. She felt her insides burn and crumble like ash. She felt thousands of drummers bounding her head. She tried moving her arms to try and ebb the pain by clutching her hair. This is just too much. She wanted to die already. Does dying make you wish you were dead already? Well, it's happening to her.

Her vision started to blur and blinked back the liquid that haze her gaze. She knew that blood trickled from her mouth. It would not take a while before she cry blood. The pain makes her ears ring in a high-pitched sound. Teddy released the intangible pain by screaming at the top of her burning lungs. She felt even more exhausted than more. Is it because of the nightmare sand she just drank? She coughed violently. She needs to stay awake but she felt that she slowly, ever so slowly slipping into unconsciousness.

She doesn't need that. She doesn't need to fall asleep, get fucking nightmares and unawarely scream because of the poison burning your insides and pounding your head like it's some potato that needs to be mashed. If she close her eyes and gets in a coma, will she die already? Would she regret it? Teddy tried the best she could to shake her head. Why is she thinking of such things? Does dying do that to you?

Teddy screamed and screamed, her own blood choking her. What's happening? Why is she here?_ Why am I chained up_? Does dying makes you forget things? Possibly because it's happening to her. Everything started to get hazy. She knew that she could not stop the unconsciousness from embracing her. She would never hear the end of it if the Guardians see her in this state. They would think that she's useless. Unreliable. Pathetic.

Her eyes suddenly drooped and jolted herself up to stay awake. She's stronger than this, she knew. If she slip into unconsciousness, there are just two things that would likely happen. Number one, she will still feel the immense pain and number two, there would be a LOT of reoccurring nightmares that she never knew she was having. There is no win-win situation here. It's a die-die situation.

What nightmares would she get? Is it the loneliness and someone's Guardianship? Is it her mother's death and her near-death experience? Is it the loss of someone's kind or is it the genocide? The genocide was actually her favourite. Teddy's eyes went wide. Dying does really mess you up because you're choosing your favourite nightmare and the fact that it's about the extinction of a kind. "ARGH!" She shouted, both in immense pain and frustration.

The pain feels like you're swimming in an ocean of thumbtacks or drinking a beverage filled with knives. It poked and prickled her but there's more than that! After the prickling, it's like you were thrown in hell. The fire charring your every organ and bone and turning it into nothing but ash. And the cherry on top is that you wanted to rip your hair out because of the way your head pound. Teddy was not taking this lightly but what plausible explanation would she need to say in order for her to tell you that it hurts so badly? None.

She frowned. Where was she again? Oh, right. Well death is inevitable and no amount of running would let her live. Teddy knew that she was going to die, right there and then. No one's going to save her. She was not a damsel in distress and there is no hero that would save her. She was a not a princess and there's no prince to help her escape from the witch's curse, the tower or from the dragon. She was not Louis Lane because there is no Superman to save her.

She was Teddy and there's no spirit to save her. Not North. Not Bunny. Not Sandy. Not Tooth. Not Pitch. Not even Jack. This is reality and she's going to die. Period, the end, fin, goodbye, adios, ciao, ta. She cackled arrogantly and let herself gave in to unconsciousness. Teddy didn't notice that there was a reddish-black oni growing in front of her.

* * *

_Beep, beep, beep. She groaned angrily. She released her hand from the covers and blindly try to find the alarm clock. She finally pressed something, a button, and sighed in relief. She snuggled into the blankets more and let sleep embrace her again. Beep, beep, beep. She groaned again and tore the blanket tangled around her. She pressed the alarm clock off, right? She sat up straight and she felt a jolt of pain from her side. She winced slightly and went off balance._

_She felt something scratchy pressed against her cheek. She was slowly guided back to bed by someone. Someone wearing something scratchy. She abruptly open her eyes to see a fair-skinned woman clad in white guiding her back to a white bed. She saw multiple wires attached to her skin, a metal stand where a transparent bag filled with unknown clear liquid hang from there. She saw a green screen with pointy lines go up and down monotonously. _

_"Are you alright, sweetie?" The woman soothingly asked with an unfamiliar accent. "Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?" She hastily splattered. The woman merely chuckled as she tucked her in. "You sure do ask a lot of questions, Ms. Tyler." The woman replied, smoothing the blanket. "How did you know my name?" She asked, consciously gripping the edge of the cover. "I am your nurse, Ms. Tyler. My name is Annie and you're in Burgess Hospital. Don't you remember anything?" Annie smiled a friendly smile. _

_She almost sighed in relief, almost. She remembered everything that had happened. The ice from the road. The tumbling of the car. He mother's hazy words. Blood and glass. Everything. Even the song. Her eyes went wide. "Where's my mother?!" She rudely asked. Annie paused from checking her heart rate znd the attached wires and looked slightly, what's the word, ah, sorry. "Are you hungry, dear?" Annie steered away from the topic. She frowned but nonetheless answered. "Yes. Can I request something?" Annie smiled and finally let go of the wires. "Of course, you can." Annie made her way to the edge of the bed and filled a glass of water from the table._

_Now that she thought of it, she was indeed parched. She quickly accepted the water but Annie warned her to drink it slowly or she might get sick. She reluctantly complied. After that, Annie promised her to bring some apple pie and cappuccino. Even as a child, she loves to drink coffee. No one visited her for the rest of the day, except for Annie. The nurse told her stories and folklore from Ireland. Annie migrated to Burgess but constantly visits her hometown, Mullingar. _

_The night easily fell and Annie tuck her in, promising that she would come back in the morning. The nurse was so kind that she gave her a good night kiss. She didn't easily quite fall asleep though. Her mind kept wandering back to the incident, questioning her as to what had happened to her mother. Did her mother survive the accident? Is her mother in critical condition? Did her mother die? Her head quickly pounded and so she stopped thinking altogether. She stared blankly at the white ceiling. Something shifted in the shadows and her head immediately jolted up. She knew that it wasn't just her imagination. Her mother told her a lot of stories about ghosts and Boogeymans. _

_"Who's there?" She quietly asked. A man with ash-colored skin and wore a black robe stepped out of the shadows. "Pity. Frost almost killed this little girl." The man thought that she could not see him. "Jack Frost? Jack Frost tried to kill me?" She felt skeptical. Jack Frost was just a boy. The man's head whipped around and suddenly scrunitized her. "You can see me?" The man asked in disbelief. She noticed that he has beady yellow eyes and tamed black hair that covered half his nape. "Yes sir." She answered quietly. She felt the need to be polite to this man. After all, her mother taught her to be polite to adults and strangers alike. _

_The man blinked a couple of times and his mouth hang a bit. He cleared his throat and stood up straight, showing off his intimidating height. "You're not scared of me?" She simply shook her head. Yes, the man looked scary but she knew better. She never got to know the man so why judge him? "You're not scared of the Boogeyman?" He asked again. Oh so that's who he is. She shook her head again in response. The man cackled slightly and put his hands behind his back. _

_"My name is Teddy." She said when the man only did was scrunitize every detail of her face. She noticed wistfulness from the man. "Indeed." Was his only reply. "What's your name?" She found herself asking. The man waved his hand, as if dismissing the question. "That's none of your concern." She placed her hands on her chest and her lower lip jutted into a pout. "And why is not my concern? I practically told you my name." The Boogeyman looked defeated and sighed heavily. _

_"My name is Pitch Black. Most people call me Pitch. Not that there are many people who can see me." And with that, the man disappeared back into the shadows. She blinked a couple of times. It's not because she thought the man was only a figment of her imagination but the fact that he looked sad. The days turned into a week and both Annie and Pitch visited her. She was filled with different kinds of stories and adventures and felt miraculously happy despite the fact that she was bedridden. She did not see either her father or her mother but her father did send her flowers, chocolate and a pair of clothes. _

_"Where is my mother and father?" She asked in a particular good day as Annie fix her loose wires and removed the unnecessary machines for she was recovering quickly. "Your father is doing some paperwork." Annie left her to get some lunch and she noticed that Annie never answer the question about her mother. Pitch still persistently visit and they both easily became friends, much to the man's constant denial. Two days more and she would get out of the hospital. Those two days were not boring but slow nonetheless. Annie and Pitch would still tell her stories, talk to her and have a little bit of fun. Annie would bring her outside, snuck in some candy and over exceed the amount of caffeine she drank. _

_Pitch would bring her to closed museums, libraries and popular places. She got to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Big Ben and a lot of historical places. But Pitch never told her why he cared for her but that's not what matters. The day of her discharge easily befell and Annie was crying by the time she's in the reception desk. She promised to visit the nurse and hang out for a bit. She never did. She went home with her father who looked tired and glum. They quickly went home and her father ushered her to take a shower and put a dress he got for her. _

_She obliged and went to the bathroom. She suddenly frowned when she stripped away her dirty clothes. She noticed a large stitched gash from her hip up below her left breast. She ignored it and thought of it as somewhat a battle scar. She showered but still doesn't know the whereabouts of her mother. She went to her room, dried herself off and put some underwear and the dress her father bought for her. She immediately frowned at the colour. Black. A black dress with ribbons and laces. No, no, no, no! Why is she such an idiot? Why is she so oblivious? She's going to wear the dress for her mother's funeral and what hurts more is that no one ever told her._

_She wouldn't blame Annie as her father must have ordered it. The paperwork her father was doing is for her mother's coffin, where she's going to get buried, insurance, hospital bills, informing the relatives, and whatever. She doesn't even care anymore. Suddenly she sank to her knees and cried and wailed and bawled and whimpered. Her mother is not coming back and she was the last one to know. She never noticed that Pitch was by her side, that he wrapped an arm around her and let her cry on his robe. At least someone cares. Pitch might have known but it was not his place to tell. _

_She stopped crying when there are no more tears to shed and Pitch helped her put on the black dress, the white stockings and black shoes. "There," Pitch said as he wrapped the black ribbon around her braid, "you're beautiful." Pitch put the black coat around her, informing her that it was going to rain. Pitch promised her that he would come back tonight and bid her goodbye. The funeral went about in a blur. She never attempted to say a eulogy. She was the last one to throw the white rose. She was the last one who left the grave. She remembered that she hugged a gigantic bunny that time. The bunny also cried and she did not know why but she did not care. She just need someone to comfort her. _

_The rabbit took her home, tuck her to bed and kissed her good night. And in that moment on, she never really had a good night sleep. _

* * *

_The battle cries and the desperate pleas were all too familiar and she opened her eyes to see that she was killing every rabbit in her path. The scythe swung, hitting multiple charging, anthropomorphic rabbits. Bones crushing, blood spilling, fur shredding. She did not stop. She felt a boomerang hit on her side. She felt the all too familiar fury as she whipped around to see a cowering kit standing in a fighting stance. She felt herself grinned a malicious grin. "How dare you hit the Nightmare King?" She said in an English male voice she very well knew. "You're hurting my family." The little kit answered in a squeaking tone._

_He looked afraid and she loved the fear. She inhaled it. She drank it. She got addicted but she needs to finish this massacre without Tsar Lunar's people catching her. She wagged her finger in front of the scared kit. "Naughty, little boy. Opposing me. You deserve some punishment." _No, no, no, NO!_ She internally screamed. She desperately tried to stop herself from killing the innocent child. She was too late for she had swung the scythe. She heard the boy's bones cracked and she saw the boy's blood spill as he was thrown on the ground like a rag doll. _

_She saw the boy's blank blue eyes and the tears streaming down his muzzle. The boy drew his last breath and his grip loosen from the tiny boomerang. The rabbits looked horrified at her. Killing an innocent kit. They charged towards her but she easily defended and killed them. She left without even flinching. She felt her mind tore from the body she presided and she noticed the scenes immediately changed. There were no more battle cries and charging rabbits. All were dead and smoke rises from the fire. She felt herself panting and running in all fours. She noticed the place where she was running was familiar. _

_It was where her previous body killed the brave, young kit. She sniffed through the air and easily found the body toppled by three dead rabbits. She respectfully removed the bodies from the boy and her eyes went wide. She noticed that the boy was still clutching the boomerang. She hugged the limp body and cried once more. She nuzzled on the boy's neck and felt blood tickled her nose. She somewhat knew that this was her younger brother. She somewhat knew that the boomerang he was still clutching was made by her. She hugged the boy like he was her lifeline. "I'm so sorry." She apologized, not knowing the real reason why she's apologizing. Maybe it's the fact that she didn't protect him. _

_"It's all my fault." She whispered once more and tightly hugged the kit. "Eamon, my brother." She revealed the name of the boy. "Eamon, wake up. Mum's cooking breakfast." She quietly whispered and nudged the boy's nose, comforting herself that the boy is just sleeping but she knew all too well that the kit is not coming back. "EAMON!" She shouted the boy's name in anguish and wailed a little harder. "EAMON!" She shouted again and lick the boy's forehead. "You're such a brave, little one. You're a hero, Eamon. You are. You don't need to be me because you're better than me. You fought, I know. You're a hero when I never was. You're the brave one, kiddo. I love ya. Ya know that, righ'?" _

_She licked his forehead one last time and closed Eamon's eyes, giving the boy a peaceful sleep. Her younger brother's a hero when she is not because she was never there to save any of them. Not even her own brother who was just a child and his life was stripped away from him too early. She was not a hero, she never was one and she undeniably admit it to both herself and to the world. _

* * *

_Darkness. _Shit, no. _That's all she could see. She could not breathe and if she tried, water suddenly feel her lungs. She still heard the crack that almost sounded like a thunder in a stormy night. She flail her arms and legs, trying to escape this wet darkness. She was drowning, she noticed. She felt her lungs burn as it tried to find oxygen but there was nothing. She tried to breathe again to find herself gulping some water. She felt suddenly cold and the harsh cold nipping every part of her body._

_Why was she here anyway? Why can't she breathe? Why can't she resurface? Why is she trapped? Did she do something wrong? She can't even remember. All she could feel that she is sinking deeper and to the lake's ground, the dark oblivion dragging her down. Darkness formed inhumane hands and grabbed her arms and legs and she knew she was trapped. She tried to breathe again but she couldn't because she died already. She was forever trapped in this wet darkness and no one's going to save her. _

_The water and the darkness suffocated her and she hated that. She hated being in the water. __She hated the darkness but she knew no one's going to save her because she is of little importance. She's dead, she's trapped and she knew it._

_The scenes changed and she was back into the hospital bed. _No, no, no, NO! _The nightmares started to reoccur and she knew she's not going to elude sleep._

* * *

She blinked a couple of times and saw white and silver. How she woke up, she did not know. She noticed a silver locket limply dangled on the yellowish-white shirt. She blinked once more and noticed that a boy was hugging her. A cold boy. She saw stunning white hair and icy blue eyes, with tears rolling down to his cheeks. She noticed that Jack Frost was hugging her. Jack Frost, she heard that name before. _"Pity. Frost almost killed this little girl." _The boy was the one who killed her mother.

He was the one who ruined her life. He was the one who ripped away everything from her. He made her life miserable. He did not even said sorry. She suddenly pushed her away and Jack looked both perplexed and hurt. She almost regretted her action. Her eyes rolled to her head and she fainted.

* * *

_"Ms. Ted." A voice echoed in the whiteness of her surroundings. She slightly chuckled. It was Leo. "I told you not to call me Miss." She said to no one. "Ms. Ted." The voice echoed again and she felt a shiver ran up to her spine. "Leo?" She whispered but no one answered. She ventured around the bright, empty nothingness. "You left me, Ted." The voice came back again. "No, I did not." She found herself answering. She walked again, as if going in circles. She stared ahead as she stepped on something slushy. She looked down and saw pure redness. She jumped up, noticing her bare foot was covered in blood. She looked up and her eyes went wide._

_There, on the floor, laid twelve dead bodies. The Guardians, Jack, Jamie, Mrs. Bennett, her mother father and mother, Annie and even Pitch. Eamon stared blankly at her. Blood spilled from their dead bodies and she even noticed some organs spewed on the ground. She closed her eyes in horror. She felt herself falling and landed with a thud. She opened her eyes to see that she was back in the bright, white nothingness. The dead bodies imprinted in her mind, she decided to venture once more even if she would inevitably see another dead body. _

_"You left me, Ms. Ted. I thought you're going to help me escape this horrible place." Leo's voice came back to haunt. "I never left you. I promised, remember?" She said in a defiant tone. She heard a scream and her head whipped around but found nothing. "You promised, remember," the sentence echoed, "Master is torturing me and you left me. You promised, Ms. Ted. You promised." The words echoed in her head and she clutched her hair as she sank to her knees. "I promised and I never left you." She persistently replied. "You did!" The bass voice echoed and it scared the living daylights out of her._

_She suddenly saw a shadow and she looked up to see a white-clad man standing a few feet away from her, his back facing her. "Hello, mister. Have you seen a boy? He has straw-colored hair and wore a dull-yellow tunic, brown pants and boots." She explained and she went towards the man. She grabbed his shoulder but the man suddenly disappeared. "Where's… Leo?" She muttered to herself and she found out that she was walking again. "Ted, HELP!" A boy's voice shouted and she ran everywhere. "LEO!" She shouted but when she did, she suddenly fell in a hole and blacked out._

_... She groaned and clutched her head as it throbbed. She blinked away the blurry vision and slowly stood up. Where was she? A minute ago, she was running around the empty, white nothingness. Now, she found herself sitting in a boat in the middle of an endless body of water and above her was a dim, grey sky. "Helloooo?" Her voice went back to her. She noticed that she was wearing a simple white dress with a pale pink ribbon tied around her waist. She was barefoot but the same colour of ribbon was tied above her ankles, reaching around the middle of her legs._

_"Hello, Ms. Teddy Tyler." She whipped around, causing the boat to jerk violently. She gripped both the sides of the boat and it finally stabled. She sighed in relief and eyed the new arrival. The man was in his early-twenties who wore a long, black cloak that conceal most of his outfit. His pale, bony hands was gripping a scythe with a rusty blade. He has black hair but there was a mixture of silver as well. It's maybe due to the fact that he was ageing. He has friendly, ebony eyes. She knew all along who was the new arrival. She actually blamed him for the last five years. _

_"Death." She whispered almost to herself. Death was misunderstood in a way. A lot of people blamed him for the loss of their loved ones. Death is merely doing his job. He is not a bad person. Death is actually a nice person because he won't let the souls wander on their own and get lost without knowing their true purpose. "I prefer to be called Hade." He requested casually and sat down in front of her, making the boat shift. She heartily chuckled. "A reference from the Greek god of the underworld, Hades?" Hade groaned, looking annoyed. "Sadly yes." _

_"I'm sorry." She suddenly said. "What for?" The man cocked an eyebrow. "For blaming you for the last five years. It's not your fault that my mother was dead. You were only just doing your job." She turned away, looking embarrassed. Hade chortled, a mix of both surprise and happiness. "It's quite alright. I am fascinated that you see the good in people." Hade toyed with his scythe. "Whatever do you mean?" She asked as she gazed at Death. "You saw the goodness in Pitch, Leo and Aelius." He nonchalantly shrugged and flexed his fingers. There was a pregnant pause. She could not feel any air or hear any waves of water. Both the boat and the world was very still._

_"You are here to escort me." She quietly said. It was not a question. "Indeed." He coolly said in affirmation. "Well, we should better go then. I don't want to be late." She joked but she felt her heart clenched. She didn't even said goodbye to any of her friends and family. "We're in no hurry." He replied and they fell in a comfortable silence. She likes Hade. The man brought calmness with him. It was like wearing an invisible cloak and carrying it around him anywhere he goes. Maybe it's for the purpose of actually calming the souls that were frightened and traumatized. _

_"I am astonished that you welcome me instead of pleading for me to give you another chance." Hade suddenly broke the silence. She noticed that the boat was actually drifting. She put her hand into the water and made a tiny wave. She smiled at Hade's compliment. "Why not. If it is my time then it is my time. I cannot change what cannot be changed." Hade smiled at her. The boat lead them to nowhere. They were always at sea and the sky never change its grim colour. "It is not your time." He quietly spoke and she looked at him, both in disbelief and shock. _

_"What do you mean?" He suddenly brought out a silver pocket watch from his cloak and pressed the top for it to open. The numbers were written in Roman numerals and the hands were coloured in emerald green, much like her eyes. The ticking was heard all over the endless sea. "This is your time and your time did not stop." Hade simply explained. "How much time do I have left?" She asked but found herself doubting that Hade would actually acknowledge her question. "80 years." She choked violently. "80 years?!" She asked in disbelief. Hade chuckled at her discomfort and pocketed the silver watch. "It seems that Mr. Frost put something in your antidote." She wanly smiled. _Jack. _She missed him. _

_"Do you blame him for your mother's death?" Hade suddenly asked. "Sometimes but I can't change the past, can I? I am not deemed worthy for Father Time to change the past and stop Jack from icing the road." She scoffed and violently waved the water, causing for her to wet her dress. "Indeed you cannot." Death replied, eyeing the still water as well. "I cannot believe I'm wishing to just stay here forever and talk with you." Hade chortled at her comment. "You can if you want to. All I have to do is drop the watch into the water and you'll have me as your company forever." The offer seemed very taunting but she found herself shaking her head. _

_"Nah. I can't just leave them without saying goodbye. And besides, I'll see you after 80 years." She playfully winked but serenely stared at the water. "Indeed." Hade stood up and stretch both his arms and legs. She looked at him oddly. "You're leaving?" She asked, visibly disappointed. "We both are." She stood up as well, looking determined. "See you after 80 years and I hope we could chat once more." She smiled a contented smile. Hade smiled back. "We could chat whenever you like. After all, sleeping is having an open relationship with Death." He winked and they both laughed. _

_"We could?" Her eyes sparkled in anticipation. "We could." He smiled. "I expect you to." She sternly said and they laughed once more. "Farewell, Ms. Tyler." He bowed an exaggerating bow, making her laugh. "Just call me Teddy." She grinned. "Farewell, Teddy." He brought out his hand, lightly coaxing her to shake it. Instead, she hugged him, clearly surprising him. He chortled but hugged her back. "You really astonish me, Teddy." He complimented. "I never cease to surprise people." And Death thought she was correct. "I'm sorry for blaming you about my mother's death and thank you for giving me a second chance." He ruffled her hair. "You don't have to apologize and you should not thank me but MiM and Jack, instead." _

_She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked as to why she should thank Manny. "You'll eventually know. Farewell, Teddy." Hade kissed her cheek and floated above the water, moving away from the boat and waving goodbye at her. "Farewell, Hade. And see you after 80 years." Hade chuckled and disappeared. She sat back down in the boat and sighed both in content and relief. She closed her eyes, finally feeling the air and hear waves of the water._

She opened her eyes, only to be met with sudden brightness. The brightness dimmed after momentarily blinding her. She blinked a few times, casting away the constant blurriness. She saw five pairs of eyes, worriedly staring at her. She smiled a contented smile. She was home.

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Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

One of my best works and I actually cried and laughed at the same time. Worth 17 pages in Microsoft Word. I particularly like the part where she was talking to Hade. What's your favourite part? The horrible arc is almost at its end but not the story. There are lots to come because we still haven't seen Jack confess yet.

Some of our questions are finally answered. I explained the two smallest details above and I know you won't miss it. And for the ones who guessed some of the things I wrote in the last chapter and _ViviBright16_who was the hundredth reviewer, the surprise will be announced in the opening of the Extras so stay tuned!

For any clarifications, comments or rants, just review and I would be very, very happy. The next update would be on the 12th. Thank you for wasting your time and read this chapter. Hope you had a wonderful experience and wait for more. Read and review my dear readers, my followers, the ones who favorite-d and those who are lurking in the shadows.

Your overjoyed author, Star.


	28. Dying

_LittleRedRiddingWolf__– Same here! Yeah, I know. I think you can meet Death when you're sleeping. They say that sleeping is like having an open __relationship with Death. _

_XxSaphirezxX– Yes, the revelation. Here is the chapter and I think it's not over yet. There is evil lurking in the shadows (insert evil cackle here)_

_HandsomHolly– Thank you very much! Also I'm glad that you noticed some my mistakes, I will correct them immediately. Sometimes, I type before I think. Once again, thank you! And I will save you because here is the chapter!_

_Xion5– Thank you very much and here is the update. I'm sorry to inform you that when the Guardians found out about Teddy and Pitch's friendship, it would not be a hysterical one. Enjoy! _

* * *

A lot of people die everyday. A lot of people ask for them to come back or for the gods to give the dead a second chance, a new beginning. When there are a lot of people that had already died in the family, then you and I both know of the pain but if it the first time you ever lost someone, you cannot possibly imagine it.

A lot of people would assume that he or she cannot survive, that death is inevitable but there are those who still have hope and a little bit of medication can save your dying loved one. That is what the Guardians are gripping at, hope. Hope that Teddy would survive. Hope that the yetis would bring her back to her old, cheerful self. But some things cannot be changed, altered.

They knew that Teddy would never be her old, cheerful self. She was through a lot of anguish and horror that no person should experience. They knew that Aelius did something to her. They knew that she is currently seeing terrible things in her sleep. They knew that the Teddy they first knew before the incident was gone. Poof, like a bubble. It was instant and they would never get the chance to bring her back.

Jack hated himself that Easter Sunday. The main reason he approached her the night they had met was because of the things he saw in her eyes. Pain, loss and hopelessness. The bruise on her cheek angered him that day. No child or adult should experience something like that. Jack, as a 300-year-old spirit, knows that. He knows the pain and suffering. He hated himself because he would never be able to fix Teddy, _again_.

Jack saw the wonder from broken things, much like North who can see the wonder in everything. He saw Teddy as a broken toy, in a good way at least. What happens to broken toys? They get a home. He remembered the time he watched Toy Story 3. Those old toys got a new home. They can be fixed when they are broken. All you just need is a little bit of some glue or battery. Jack's tools are his frost and center.

He wanted to fix Teddy that day and so he approached her. No one knew the reason he loves to make Teddy laugh or smile. The reason behind it is that he was managing to fix her, to make her work again. But Aelius went into the picture and destroyed his greatest work. And in that moment on, Jack knew that he would never get to make Teddy laugh.

As for Bunnymund, he would never admit it for the rest of eternity but he wanted to let go of Teddy. She had experienced so much suffering. She needs peace and freedom. She saw and experienced so much she could handle it no longer. He knew that Teddy would never be the same Teddy he knew. He never told it to anyone but the real Teddy died five years ago, with her mother. Teddy loves her mother dearly and when her mother died, she internally died as well.

No one saw it but Bunny could. Bunny saw that this Teddy today is just a shell that cannot be filled ever again. The reason Teddy's physical body is here was just for the law of existence. Teddy's physical body hasn't collapse yet and so it worked along the flow of life. Bunnymund wanted to fill that shell. He wanted to revive the dead soul of Teddy Tyler but he was too late because that soul reached paradise already.

Tooth is a Queen. A humble one with regal air around her. Everyone saw Toothiana as a bubbly, tooth-loving fairy. She likes blabber on and on about tooth and was tied to her work. She was both an enthusiastic and workaholic hummingbird. No one tried to look deeper. Tooth is a mother. She never knew how or why but she had the instincts of a mother. It may be due to the fact that she has mini-fairies that are fragile and well, tiny.

They never knew that Tooth sometimes cry in her sleep when she remembered the fact that a lot of children were starving, homeless and dying. She remembered the story that Teddy had written and given for her on Christmas. She experienced something akin to that, no, she experienced the exact same thing in Teddy's story. The rest never knew the reason why she quitted her fieldwork 400 years ago.

It all started with a tooth and a girl. Tooth was zooming around, collecting teeth from pillows and leaving quarters. When she was near to ending her shift, her heart broke. Her powers led her to an alleyway where a dying girl was holding her tooth in her palm. She never had a bed to sleep and a pillow to tuck the tooth underneath. Tooth remembered the time when the girl told her her dying wish. The little girl said that she knew that she would not hold any longer and so she wished to see the Tooth Fairy before she say goodbye.

Tooth remembered the time when the girl handed her the tooth and she handed the quarter. The girl smiled, the gap in her mouth noticeable. She died in Tooth's arms. Tooth is a mother and she cried for every child who died everyday. They were her children, in a way. Tooth couldn't bare the thought of Teddy dying in her arms. Tooth couldn't bare the thought that she would not see Teddy ever again. Tooth couldn't bare the thought that when Teddy did let go, they would never be the same ever again.

North's belly is grumbling. Not in a need-to-go-to-the-bathroom sort of way. His belly was telling him that something is going to happen. Many had doubted his belly, _many_ being Bunnymund. They never believed that North's belly actually tells the truth. They never took North's belly too seriously. It's funny to watch when they were proven wrong by the belly.

In this case, his belly is acting _weird. _Something major would befall upon them. Or maybe it's the fact that his parental figure is acting all up. Do you ever get that dreadful feeling in your stomach when one of your loved ones got hurt or suddenly disappeared? North is currently feeling that dreadful feeling. His loved one got hurt. He really loves Teddy. Everyone does. He could not bear with the thought that she is going to leave them without saying goodbye. She's dying but they would never admit it.

Sandy is the master of good dreams. He happily gives them to the children of the world. No one would never fully understand it but Sanderson is the post office of wishes. That is why he knows what dream to give. Those were the children's wishes. Dreams and wishes are somewhat connected. They are similar to one another. You wish for something like this. You dream to be someone else. If children dream, they are actually wishing. Dreams enable you to achieve something. Wishes enable you to pursue this dream.

Sanderson knows every child's wish and he knew Teddy's. It is something that he could not give and can only portray in a dream. Teddy's wish was a family. She wants a unique one. She wants a brother, a mother and a father, a grandfather and an uncle. Sandy could not give her that. He could not help her pursue that but he could use the damage control. He could give Teddy dreams about having a family someday. He indirectly tells her that she could not have a family but she could make one in the future.

Sandy knew every child in the world. He may not memorize names like North but he knew them by dreams and character. He was astonished about the fact that Jack actually got to meet the girl Sandy is always tracking. The girl who wishes for a family. Sandy knew that she had a father but she never saw the man as a family. No one knew about this but Sandy actually cried. He actually cried in both relief and happiness. He could finally grant her wish. Jack as the brother, Tooth as the mother and North as the father, Sandy as the grandfather and Bunny as the uncle.

Sandy couldn't bear with the thought that he actually granted an impossible wish. He is willing to share his family with her. And he is heartbroken when he knew that Teddy would not make it any longer. He is heartbroken because of the fact that he would not be able to tell Teddy that he granted her wish. He is heartbroken because he never got the chance to say that they never left her side.

* * *

To say that they were panicking was an understatement.

The blood-curling screams penetrated their ears. It was downright horrifying. They couldn't bear with the thought that their loved one is screaming. One in anguish and horror. They were scared, the Guardians. They would never admit it but Pitch must have really loved drinking their fear right now. It might even their fault that Pitch would get stronger but they couldn't help the fact to feel dreadful.

Teddy Tyler is dying. The girl who they thought of as family. The girl he thought of as his future lover. The girl he thought of as his daughter. The girl she thought of as her daughter and girl friend. The girl he thought of as his granddaughter. The girl he thought of as his niece. Teddy is slowly slipping through their fingers and they needed to get to the infirmary fast.

They ended up in the west wing of the workshop and North cussed Russian profanities under his breath when the snow globe malfunctioned. The infirmary is located at the other side of Santoff Claussen and so they sprinted in a world record time. Everyone looked dead tired. As Bunny gently laid the girl on an empty, white bed, four medical yetis immediately surrounded her. Her face contorted in one of anguish and they closed their eyes from the horrible sight.

The yetis politely yet persistently ushered them out of the room, much to their constant protesting. They reluctantly obliged and instead of heading to the Globe Room, they landed in the living room instead. They took the elevator and Bunny practically ran inside the room to curl up in front of fire and snore. Jack slumped on his personal window ledge and must have dozed off. North fell on the couch and snored loudly as well. Tooth laid near Bunny and slept on her stomach, not wanting to damage her fragile wings.

Sandy smiled at his tired companions and gave them all a good dream. A dream wherein they were just a family. A dream wherein Teddy is back to her old, cheerful self. A dream wherein there were no Boogeymans, summer spirits, troublemakers and problems. A dream wherein they were carefree. A dream wherein they were happy.

Sandy found an empty room. He incased the whole interior with sand and laid Aelius on a makeshift bed. He unwrapped the sand-made wrappings and would deal with the man later. The golden man assigned four yetis to guard the room. Two who would hold back the summer spirit, one who would call for them and another one for good measure.

A blood-curling scream shook the entire interior of Santoff Claussen. Every Guardian, sleeping or not, jolted from their places. Sandy immediately returned to the living room. He saw three worried Guardians and North attentively listening to the brownish medical yeti. The Russian man's rich blue eyes went wide. That sign is not good. When the yeti stopped garbling everything in their foreign tongue, he beckoned them to come follow him. They were now able to see Teddy.

The moment the infirmary door swung open, they immediately felt dread upon them. They saw Teddy covered in a white blanket, her face still scrunched up in both anguish and horror. She looked like she was about to scream. She looked terribly pale, almost resembling Jack's own skin. They all gulped at the sight. "What did the yeti say?" The question was out but they were not ready for the answer.

"Yetis said," North started to translate, "Teddy's shoulders both dislocated and a couple of ribs were broken." Tooth winced but the men looked skeptical. "That seems minor enough." Jack commented offhandedly. The Cossack nodded at the yeti and he slowly removed the blanket covering Teddy. The girl was shirtless but thankfully wearing her bra. That's not the point, though. They gasped at the horrific sight. It was not about the fact that Teddy has a long scar on her side or that half of her torso is wrapped in bandages, but the fact that almost all of her chest skin was covered in bluish-purple color.

"Internal burns." Tooth started to sob uncontrollably. "What should we do?" Jack's voice undeniably broke. "Nothing. Her body already started to shut down." North sadly shook his head. He was about to say something when a haggard Bunny stopped him. "We're goin' ta interrogate Aelius." When there is hope, there is hope. Bunnymund is the Guardian of Hope and so he would be the last one on Earth to give up.

Sandy guided them towards Aelius' room. The yetis stepped out of the doorway and let them enter. Aelius was still unconscious. Sandy floated beside him and slapped him a couple of times. The little man was about to give up when a groan suddenly emanated in Aelius' throat. Bunnymund nodded at Sanderson and the man hoisted Aelius up. Aelius blinked a couple of times and took a while to comprehend everything around him.

His onyx eyes immediately dilated when his gaze fell upon the Guardians. He nonchalantly smiled. "Good day, Guardians." He greeted, almost cheerfully. They all glared at him. It was not a particularly good day. "Don't _good day _us Aelius." Out of all the people, Tooth was the one to say it. "Listen ta me, Aelius. Yer in our territory. One wrong move 'n ya'll neva see ta light of day again, understand?" Aelius simply nodded.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO TEDDY?" The venom and lethality of Bunny's voice made the temperature dropped and his conspirators gulped inwardly. Aelius did not answer. "SPEAK, YOU FOOL." North's accent thickened as he lost his composure. "You're too late, Guardians. Teddy's body is already shutting down." Aelius' smug face appeared. "We know that. Tell us something that would save her or else." Tooth menacingly glared at him. They were all lucky that she was not holding a sword and that North's dual sabers were out of reach or else she could have gutted Aelius alive, not that they care but they need information.

"_Or else _does not scare me." He was about to shrug but found that he could not. "How does it feel like when you're the one hanging from the floor?" Jack wickedly smirked. "Oh no, mate. _Or else_'s not wat we're goin' ta do with ya. We're gunna send ya to Mother Nature." A lot of people fear Mother Nature. It may have been the reason that she is Pitch's daughter and the fact that she gives the worst punishments to seasonal spirits. Even Aelius was scared of her.

"Fine. I will tell you." He begrudgingly agreed. "Now we're getting ta it." Bunny grinned as he crossed his arms on his chest. "I poisoned her, so to speak. The poison would burn her insides. Everything that is inside her body. Only I have the antidote or if I do lost it, a certain winter spirit can make you one." Aelius bobbed his head, gesturing at the nonchalant hellion. "Where is it? Ya have ta antidote, righ'?" Aelius shook his head. "The vial shattered." He then gestured at the wet ink-like blot on top of his pocket.

Bunnymund menacingly glared, his paw creeping near his boomerang. "How did it shatter?" North inquired while placing a hand on Bunny's furry paw to stop him from hitting the man. "Sanderson," He looked at the little man, "as you might have noticed, he did slam me on the walls and the floors a couple of times, right?" Sandy looked deeply embarrassed and guilty.

"There's nothing you can do, Bunnymund," Aelius informed when Bunny started to annoyingly pace, "Jackson here is the only one who can cure her." Jack's face, for Aelius, was priceless. The boy looked horrified. After all, a great deal has been placed on his shoulders. He now holds Teddy's life in his palms and he simply cannot do it. "I can't do it." He defiantly declared. Aelius heartily laughed. "You don't have a choice, Jackson. From the sound of it, it's like saying you don't want to save Teddy."

Jack kicked him on the stomach. "You don't know me and don't call me _Jackson_." Aelius coughed a couple of times and withered in pain. "Don't need to." He forgot that he could not shrug his shoulders. "What are the needed ingredients?" North asked while placing a hand on Jack's shoulder before it's too late and the boy would sprint and kick Aelius again. "I am not a winter spirit, Nicholas." Was the man's casual reply.

"You're the one who poisoned her! You must have known something!" Tooth angrily exclaimed and was on the verge of gripping her feathers in frustration. They are losing time. They are losing precious, unrecovered time. Each second they waste to interrogate Aelius, Teddy slowly slip away. "All I can say, Toothiana, is that the antidote should be in liquefied state and the rest, it's up to Jackson." Their faces all contorted in a frown and Aelius found the sight very amusing.

"Sandy, knock 'im out!" Sandy casted a sideway glance at Bunny, as if saying _with pleasure. _Instead of actually using his dream sand, the little man floated in front of Aelius and punched him on the face for good measure. The man was out like a light. Everyone heartily chuckled despite the fact that a human girl's life is placed on their shoulders. After all, they won't leave Jack alone in this antidote making. They were all in this together.

North immediately informed the yetis to do everything to keep Teddy alive, her pulse beating and her lungs releasing air. The rest of the Guardians moved to the library and quickly felt the presence of Teddy, as if she was in the room herself. Teddy loves books. She loves to read, from science to fantasy. Anything she could get her hands with. North once remarked that she is almost tied to that place and they knew that the man was probably right as they could feel Teddy's comforting presence. They were also become worried. What if the presence they felt is Teddy's wandering ghost? What if Teddy already died and her soul started to visit the places she vaguely remembers? They all shook their heads and started to crack open medical books.

They read works of deceased winter spirits. They read books about plants that would help cure the burns. They read everything; everything that would help cure Teddy's internal burns. It's not that easy, trying to find answers that were never answered. They stayed in the library the whole Sunday night until Easter Monday morning.

Bunny was about to get a book from the lower shelf when he suddenly dropped it. The loud thud echoing around the quiet room grabbed the Guardians' attention. "Bunny, is something wrong?" Tooth asked as she looks away from her assigned book. They noticed that the Pooka's eyes were dilating and he placed his paw on his chest, his breaths hitching. "I… Somethin' wrong. I… need ta go back ta the Warren." With that, Bunny tapped the ground twice and unsteadily jumped into the tunnel.

The Guardians looked at each other and shrugged. They were worried, alright, but sometimes Bunny could be stubborn and it would take weeks before they prod the answer from him. It's best if they let him be. Notes were passed, books were exchanged, new books were hand out, and they stopped at nothing in order to find the answers.

By late afternoon of Easter Monday, they all simultaneously closed their books and compare notes. Agreeing with the antidote's ingredients, they started to scour the whole world for rare plants. Bunny came back on Tuesday morning and stutteringly apologized for his sudden leave. He won't tell them why though. Jack noticed that Bunny almost seemed the same height as he was. North immediately commented that Bunny became lanky. Sandy tilted his head, wondering why Bunny's breaths were almost seemed forced and hitched. Tooth fussed over about Bunny is constantly staggering. The worry abruptly disappeared when they were dispersed to the different areas of the world.

The search for the ingredients ended by Wednesday dusk and they all gathered back to the North Pole. Everyone knew what they are going to do. North, Sandy and Bunny would boil the plants while Jack tries to find a way for his frost to liquefy but still acquire the same negative temperature. Tooth moved to the infirmary and wiped the blood and sweat from Teddy's face and dab a wet cloth on her chest.

Jack failed a couple of times while the rest were finished with their tasks. They already mixed the liquefied plants and were all patiently waiting for the winter spirit's frost. "Jackie, do ya need any help?" The boy only shook his head. The Guardians looked at each other and decided on something; they should leave the boy to himself. They quietly exited the room, leaving the sound of frost trickling and the boy unknowingly sobbing.

_Why can't I make this right? _He asked himself. Something is probably stopping him from doing so. Jack never noticed the moonbeams lightened the room. "Why can't I make this right?" He spoke the question out loud, only to find his inquiry left unanswered. _Do you want to heal Teddy? _Someone gently whispered in his mind, soft, mellow and comforting. Like the wind that was caressing his cheek. "Yes." He could hear a faint chuckle brought by the howls of the wind and the moonbeams slowly retreat out of the room. _Believe. _

The hellion closed his eyes, channeling every bit of his power towards the crook of his staff. He never knew how or why but he could hear _A Time For Us_ playing at the back of his mind. He unknowingly started to pour his heart through the trickling frost.

He remembered the time when Teddy would laugh and smile. He wished to hear it again. He remembered the time they both played the piano. How they were coordinated, connected, as if they were both missing pieces of the puzzle and fit perfectly. He remembered the time when he used all of his rest just to sew the bunny. He remembered Teddy's face when she received and hugged the bunny.

He remembered the time when he kissed her on the cheek on New Year's Eve. He remembered the time when he played as Juliet on Valentine's Day. How Teddy leaned in, almost capturing his lips with hers or was it him who leaned? It does not matter. He remembered how his heart broke when Arthur shot Teddy right in front of his eyes. He remembered the time he first met her. How loss and anguished she looked. Jack Frost undeniably loves Teddy Tyler.

Jack suddenly heard something drip. He opened his icy blue eyes to see melted frost trickling from his staff. He chuckled and it pours faster, almost uncontrollable. He took a vial out of it and mixed it with the rest of the antidote. He burst out of the room, looking accomplished and happy. The Guardians suddenly burst with enthusiasm and practically ran towards the infirmary.

They noticed that the yetis attached Teddy to a heart monitor and that her heartbeat faintly went up and down. Tooth immediately beamed and slowly sat the unconscious Teddy up. Jack did a precautionary shake to mix the ingredients in the vial perfectly well before removing the cork with a tiny pop. His hands were shaking and he had to pass it to Bunny who half-heartedly glared him. Bunny then passed it Tooth who rolled her lavender eyes and muttered under her breath, "Men."

Teddy's mouth parted when Tooth carefully placed the vial near her mouth. The fairy slowly tipped it up and the unconscious girl easily swallowed the contents. After emptying the glass vial, Tooth gently placed Teddy's head on the plump pillow and they waited for the antidote to take effect. Nothing happened and all they could hear is the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, their hitching breath and Teddy's labored ones. All of a sudden, there was a prolonged monotonous beep. That flat, piercing sound penetrated all of their ears.

You could hear a pin dropped. All of their eyes dilated and they felt paralysis took their bodies. No one dared to move. It was a heartbreaking moment when you did something you thought that would work but it did not.

The yetis immediately surrounded her and before they could bring out the defibrillator, they could hear the rapid beeping coming from the monitor. It all started with a low and slow _beep, beep, beep. _Then it suddenly went faster and faster, as if she was running on a track. Teddy was dead for two minutes. And in that two minutes, they almost thought that they had lost her. That the antidote they concocted had failed them. That they had failed themselves.

They circled around her and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

They thought that the heart monitor just malfunctioned. They thought that the heart monitor gave them false hope. They thought that the machine is mocking them. They thought that Teddy was dead already. Their long train of thoughts crashed when a groan emanated from Teddy's throat. She slowly opened her eyes, looking bleary and glassy. Her reaction was unpredictable and heart shattering. She abruptly sat up whilst grabbing the white blanket to cover her shirtless chest. Her grip tightened around the fabric. She slightly winced from the soreness of her body, making her left eye shut tightly.

She looked very exhausted and in a lot of pain. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. The Guardians were unsure on what they could possibly do. She cleared her throat a couple of times and they all guessed that it was painful. She, after all, screamed for days and did not talked for hours. With a raspy voice, she asked the question that brought immediate dread amongst them, "Wh–o, ar…e you?"

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Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Darn cliffhanger again! I apologize for the late update. I couldn't find myself to continue it. I am so damn tired last night and we had a brownout and the wifi is so slow and it's my worst day ever and now, I'm feeling the first school day jitters! ARGH. Tomorrow is our first school day and if I'm not tired or shaken up, I'll probably update tomorrow night. What's happening to Bunny, by the way?

Read and review my dear readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d, and those who are lurking in the shadows.

Yours truly, Star.


	29. Confusion and Arguments

_EmeraldRhino__– Is it wrong for me to tell you that I actually missed you? When I saw your review, I practically screamed. No lie about that. Strike two of threatening me to be pushed off this cliff. Thank you very much and here is the chapter! Thank you and thank God, I survived the first day of school. Lucky you! Summer is already over here in our country. Once again, thank you very much and enjoy!_

_Xion5__– Thank you very much, Xion! Here is the long-awaited chapter!_

_HandsomHolly__– Catch this rope, quickly! I don't want you to fall off from this cliff, okay? Your long review just made my entire, tiring day. I hope you're upset in a good way. I know and I'm sorry. I still don't know if I'm turning Teddy into a Guardian or not so you'll see in the progress of the story. Thank you for the suggesting some spirit types. I needed that. We'll see about everything you said because I don't want to give any spoilers. Thank you very much! Oh my Guardian, the ending of your review!_

* * *

_Teddy, wake up._ There was a singsong voice whispering inside her head. The voice was melodic, soft like a spring breeze but powerful enough to command her like the harsh winds. She easily complied with the voice constantly coaxing her to wake up. Waking up, in her state, is a difficult task. Her eyelids felt like a hundred tons of metal sat on top of it. She evidently tried to move her fingers but she could not even manage a twitch. Her entire body felt like it was made out of pure lead.

Then there was pain. Searing, hot pain that made her want to scream at the top of her lungs. _Where is morphine when you need it? _She found herself asking. She could faintly hear a rhythmic beeping sound that shoots through the silence, like a bullet to a man's head. These beeping sounds annoyed the hell out of her but she did not have the energy to stop it. She groaned inwardly. She wanted to escape from this pitch-black darkness.

_Finally! _She exclaimed in her head when her eyelids started to flutter. She abruptly opened it, only to be harshly greeted with blinding light. She blinked a couple of times, easing the blurriness and black dots away. Her gaze was blessed with five pairs of eyes staring at her, filled with worry and hope. _Who are they? _She asked herself. From the long duration of sleeping, her mind was inevitably foggy. She blinked a couple more.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she propped herself up. She felt pain on her shoulders and chest but most importantly, pain exists in her body, from head to toe. A familiar chilly air greeted her back and she visibly shivered. She noticed that she was shirtless. Embarrassed about the fact, her grip tightened around the white blanket and she instantly covered her torso. She would have cuss if she had a grasp of her bearings.

She stared at the starers, leveling their gaze. At first, it was hard to recognize the lot of them. They were odd in her perspective. She opened her mouth to ask, only to find that her throat is apparently dry. She could not even manage to squeak a word. She licked her lips and saliva barely wet the mouth. She is in immediate need of water but everyone seemed too bewildered to hand her a glass of water. Reminding herself that she could not identify them, she tried her best to speak. "Wh–o, ar…e you?" After a couple of times of clearing her throat, she finally asked.

They all looked flabbergasted and hurt. She found herself regretting her question. Did she say something wrong? Did they hate her? "You don't remember us?" One of them asked, the one acquiring the crooked staff. The boy's voice sounded so familiar. The rusty gears started to turn in her head. She remembered and she is horrified.

Her ever green eyes dilated for a nanosecond and suddenly closed. _This is just so cruel. _She had a lot of nightmares. Some that aren't even hers and some that she doesn't want to relive. Of all of the nightmares she would acquire, why this? There are tons of nightmares she could see but why this? Why does this nightmare have to be filled with worried Guardians? She knew that they would drop dead after a few minutes.

She remembered the horrifying sight. The one where all of them were dead and blood spilled on the white ground and spewing organs laid everywhere. She remembered that she was the one holding the knife and her hands and dress were stained with blood that isn't hers. This is just a nightmare. This is just a bad dream. This is just a hallucination. The Guardians should not waste their precious time on her. They have children to protect.

She is just so pathetic. If it wasn't for her, they should not be worrying about her well-being. They should be in their own merry, little way by now. She is just so useless. _Don't fall for it. Aelius is merely tricking you. _Someone whispered inside her pounding head. She didn't noticed but the well-constructed dam burst and unstoppable salty droplets of water trickled from her tightly shut eyes.

She heard shuffling and a cold finger pressed against her cheek, wiping away the clear liquid that evidently showed weakness. She visibly flinched from the touch and it left her, undeniably yearning for more. She doesn't want to be deceived. She had been hurt so much. Why is the world so cruel? Why does she have to dream of them worrying about her? Then this would all disappear and she would be back inside the musty, pitch-black room where Aelius once imprisoned her.

This is just a nightmare. It will forever stay that way. She remembered that she didn't have a good night sleep for the past five years and she knew that she would never get one. "You're just a nightmare." She didn't notice that she had gripped her hair and tugged painfully and continuously. "We're real, my dear." North took a cautious step forward and smiled a friendly smile. She would have smiled back if it wasn't for her turmoil mind.

"You're not real!" She exclaimed and winced when her throat immediately protested. She easily regretted what she had said as she looked at the Guardians. They looked so shunned and hurt. Like when a child walked through them. The sight was unbearable and she had to look away. "We're real, Ted." The Pooka reassured both themselves and her. He looked hopeful as always. She wanted to apologize. She was hurting all of them, especially the winter spirit. She wanted this to stop.

"You're not!" She found herself defiantly shouting, "You're just a nightmare. You would be dead after a few minutes and I would wake up in a pitch-black room. You're nothing but a figment of my imagination!" They took a step backward and they looked so hurt. It was all too real. Teddy doubted her notion. Has she been mistaken? Are they really real? She's not going to wake up in a pitch-black room? Is she home? Is this a nightmare or a reality, she did not know and she could not answer it herself. Perhaps, something in between.

"Why do you keep saying that? We're real, Teddy. We're here. You're here. You're in Santoff Claussen. You're…" The boy paused, looking hesitant and undetermined. "You're home and you're with us. We are not going to die." Is he reassuring her? Is he real? He seems to be. Will she believe him? She does not know what's happening anymore. She did not notice that she covered her ears, trying to block their reassurance. It's fake. This is just a nightmare.

She did not notice that the tears wouldn't stop. She is so utterly confused. She wanted out, now! The little man floated in front of her and gently removed her hands from her ears. He smiled a tired smile, full of hope and trust. She's torn in between reality and horrible nightmares. She could not distinguish what is right and what is wrong and what is real and what is not. She almost gave in. She did not know but something snapped inside of her. She was no longer the Teddy they knew.

"You're just a nightmare!" Her throat protested but she defiantly continued. "You're all going to disappear and I would be in my mother's funeral. I would see a sea of dead rabbits. I would feel the harshness of those who cannot see me. I would see the bravery and death of someone's brother. I would taste the malice whenever I killed a charging rabbit. I would see all of you lying in front of me dead, and blood continuously spilling on the white ground. I would hear the tormented shouts of a tortured boy. I would hear and see everything!

The pain, the loss, the grief, the malice, the loneliness, the harshness, and death creeping in every step I took. EVERYTHING!" She sucked in a mouthful of breaths and she thought she heard her throat cracked. They looked so sympathetic and hurt and she hated that. She blinked away the tears and felt lightheaded from the rant. Everyone looked hurt, especially the Pooka and the winter spirit. She wanted it to stop. She wanted everything to return to normal. She wanted to forget all of this horror. She wanted out and she wanted it now!

"Make it stop," She croaked, "please." Their eyes immediately softened a little more. "Make it stop." This time she hiccupped from crying. She kept mumbling it like it was a reassurance and a mantra. "I don't know what's happening anymore." She whimpered and bit her lower lip. It was true. She was torn in between reality and nightmares. She doesn't know where to put herself. She wanted for it to stop.

She could hear voices taunting her. Coaxing her to wish that she wanted to die. She heard the scary voices saying that she should go back to sleep and they promised that she would get out of this madness. She wanted for the voices to stop. She wanted the voices to stop taunting her. She almost complied because of it. "Please." She croaked once more.

She was immediately enveloped in a warm hug and she audibly sighed in relief. The voices abruptly disappeared. She found herself hugging the hummingbird back. "Mommy's here." The fairy whispered and she knew that the fairy is telling the truth. She slightly trembled and the hug tightened around her. She instantly felt the security and comfort of the hug. The hug was just so nice and at home.

"No one's going to hurt you, dear." Oh how she wanted to believe that. She wanted to become a child again and forget the haunting nightmares and creeping voices. She wanted to become a carefree kid once more. There are so many wishes she wanted to be granted. She cannot even count it. The fairy reassured her and whispered sweet nothings. The gesture was so vaguely familiar; she could not simply grasp it. But she knew one real thing, she was home.

She did not know why but the fairy started to sing a lullaby. It may be the fact that she started crying again. The lullaby sounded so familiar, as if someone already sung it to her. She felt the heavy weight on the shoulders lifted when the somewhat high-pitched voice of the fairy started to sing softly:

_Sleep O babe, for the red bee hums the silent twilight's fall,_

_Aoibheall from the grey rock comes, to wrap the world in thrall._

The lullaby reminded her of the good things in life. The lullaby reassured her that she is breathing in reality. She smiled a relieved smile.

_A leanbhan O, my child, my joy, my love my heart's desire,_

_The crickets sing you lullaby, beside the dying fire._

_Dusk is drawn and the Green Man's thorn is wreathed in rings of fog,_

_Siabhra sails his boat till morn, upon the Starry Bog._

"Please stop." She begged when the lullaby started to lull her to sleep. "It's okay." The fairy reassured, stroking her tangled hair in a soothing manner. "I don't want to go back to sleep." She pleaded and gripped the fairy's feathers, not too tight that she would accidentally pull the intact feathers out. "No one's going to hurt you there. I promise." The fairy softly pecked the top of her head and she sighed, both in content and relief.

_A leanbhan O, the paly moon hath brimmed her cusp in dew,_

_And weeps to hear the sad sleep-tune, I sing O love to you._

The men looked hesitant and so they stood there, still as a rock. "Please stop…" She whispered. The voices kept coming back. Taunting her like always. She wanted them to stop. And so the fairy sang a little more.

_Faintly sweet doth the chapel bell, ring o'er the valley dim,_

_Tearmann's peasant voices swell, in fragrant evening hymn._

_A leanbhan O, the low bell rings, my little lamb to rest,_

_And angel- dreams till morning sings, its music in your breast._

The voices were eluded by the fairy's beautiful singsong voice. She realized that the fairy was the one coaxing her to wake up earlier or was it someone else? She couldn't care less. She was at peace and she liked that. She wanted to peace to stay there forever.

She wanted to curl up with the fairy and talk about small, unimportant things. She wanted to waste her time with the winter spirit and laugh at the merry, little things. She wanted to enjoy her time with the bunny while it lasts. She wanted the little man to reassure her that everything's going to be alright. She wanted the Russian man to tuck her to bed at night and kiss her forehead good night. She wanted them and she promised not to let them go.

_Sleep, O babe, for the bed-bee hums_

_The silent twighlight's fall,_

She wasn't surprised that she is becoming so sleepy. She knew that there wouldn't be any nightmares to haunt her. She knew that there aren't any voices to taunt her to kill herself and join them. She knew that her fear of darkness had ended when the lullaby started ringing in her ears. This is the end of all nightmares and she couldn't be more happier.

_Aoibheall from the Grey Rock comes,_

_To wrap the world in thrall._

_A leanbhan O, my child, my joy,_

_My love and heart's desire._

_The crickets sing you lullaby_

_Beside the dying fire._

The lullaby had ended but the fairy continued humming. The nightmares would finally stop from haunting her. The darkness would scare her no more. Her fears had finally ended and so does her consciousness. She slept a peaceful sleep. The one that she thought was impossible to acquire. She slept a peaceful sleep and a contented smile adorned her face. She was at peace and so are they.

"Teddy." The fairy whispered. That was her name. That was her. She was Teddy. She was happy. She was Teddy Tyler and so she slept. Everything suddenly went black.

* * *

If hearts could literally shatter, then the Guardians' hearts shattered into a million tiny pieces, pulverized to the ground and scattered all over the vast Pacific Ocean. It scared them when Teddy thought that they were all just a figment of her imagination. They didn't know what to do. They all went rigid. They hated feeling useless.

But Tooth wasn't one to just mull over the fact that Teddy cannot distinguish if this is reality or not. Tooth, as I've said before, is a mother. She did the best she could. She hugged Teddy and sang a lullaby to calm the poor girl's nerves. An old lullaby that she remembered singing to the dying girl in the alleyway. She whispered sweet nothings and soothingly strokes her hair. The whispery words stopped and she slept on Tooth's chest. They all sighed in relief.

Everyone agreed to transfer Teddy to her room. Gently, ever so gently, Bunny carried her with shaking hands and placed her on the bed. North tucked the blanket under her chin and kissed her good night. The girl smiled a sleepy smile. Sandy sprinkled a little bit of dream sand and patted the girl's head. Tooth kissed her forehead and whispered something on the girl's left ear. The boys didn't hear and so it would be the girls' secret. "We're here for you."

When the rest of the Guardians weren't looking, Jack kissed her on the cheek and smiled a beaming smile. His feelings would have to wait. They all quietly exited the room when Bunny's knees suddenly buckled. North was able to catch him and carried him to the living room like a weary child. Bunny was furiously blushing and he knew that Jack would not live this down.

"Are you alright, Bunny?" North asked and his Russian accent thickened when worried. "Ye…s." Bunny croaked and they knew that he was lying. "You're lying, Bunny. Spill it!" Tooth gritted her teeth while North laid Bunny on the couch on his side. "Em fine, shiela." Bunnymund dismissed everything and snuggled on his forearm, immediately drifting off to sleep. The Guardians looked at each other and sighed. They dispersed.

As Bunny slept, they continued to visit Teddy as possible as they can. Sandy and Tooth would occasionally visit in the morning after their night shifts. Jack returned to the North Pole as soon as his job was finished. North remained in his office, too busy to even grab a cookie. Three agonizingly slow days had passed and still, Teddy wouldn't wake up. Bunnymund already returned to the Warren, looking embarrassed as usual. North was determined to find out what's wrong with his old friend.

Tooth arrived earlier than usual and found the workshop uncharacteristically quiet. She fluttered to Teddy's room and quietly swung the wooden door open. She looked at the occupant of the room and inwardly gasped, her lavender eyes dilating and her jaw falling to the ground. There sat Teddy on her bed, holding her head on the palm of her hand. "TEDDY!" She practically squealed and zoomed to her girl friend's aid.

"To–o…th." She greeted, her voice raspy and rough like sand paper. Toothiana immediately filled the glass with water and handed it to the hoarse friend. Teddy slowly drinks the beverage, remembering Annie's warning. _You would get sick if you drink it too fast. _She sighed in relief and placed the empty glass on the bedside table. Teddy felt soreness all over her body but she was relieved to be home at last.

"Where are the others?" Teddy asked as she scanned the room, noticing the absence and constant noise of the four worried Guardians. "They must be in the Globe Room." Tooth implied, placing her index finger on her chin. "Let's go." Teddy untangled herself from the warm comforters and swung her legs out of the bed. She stood up and took a step forward, only to find that she was incapable of walking without sturdy support.

Tooth was immediately by her side, her feathery arm around the girl's shoulders and helping her stand up. "Don't be hasty, Teddy. You're still healing." She scolded like a mother. Teddy gave her a sheepish grin. "Can we please go?" Tooth was reluctant. "And besides, it would help me exercise my sore limbs." Tooth finally gave in.

Helping Teddy was an easy task, if you're a normal, walking person. Tooth was a hummingbird hybrid and so it was difficult. She had to focus on both flying and helping the staggering teddy bear. They made it halfway through the hallway when Tooth unceremoniously dropped Teddy.

With a loud thud, she heard a groan from the fallen girl. "I'm so sorry, Teddy." She covered her gaping mouth and helped the girl stand up again. "That's alright." She smiled a reassuring smile. With the help of a fussing Tooth, Teddy leaned on the wall with difficulty. She used her side, her hands and the wall to guide her while walking. The wall helped her in standing up.

They walked through the hallway with agonizingly slow pace. "I'm fine Tooth," She would constantly reassure the fairy, "it would help me exercise my limbs as I told you before. You can help me when I fall again." And no more worried words came from the fairy. They successfully arrived in the Globe Room and the men looked very worried.

They were all there. Sanderson, Nicholas, Jackson and Bunnymund. They were staring at the struggling girl and Jack proved to be the quick thinker around the group, immediately flying to the girl's aid. Teddy looked reluctant at first but swung her arm around the boy's shoulders and he helped her walk. "Ya should be in bed." Bunny half-heartedly glared at her. "You should shut your trap." Sanderson snickered at the girl's cocky retort.

"Bunny…" North tapped his shoulder and the Pooka whipped around. "North, wat's wrong?" The Russian man only pointed at the globe. Everyone followed the men's gaze. They all gasped. They never noticed it at first but the lights were half the usual. Each Guardian has a globe in their hideout. All of their globes are connected to one another. If a light goes out, a child stopped believing in each one of them. The holiday that was last celebrated is Easter.

Did Easter suddenly go into ruins? Because Bunny sure lost a lot of believers. The reason behind Bunny's tiredness, his lankiness, his breath hitching and his constant staggering was because he lost a big amount of believers and he never had the courage to tell anyone about it. Is it because the Pooka was prideful? Maybe. Is it because the Pooka was embarrassed? Definitely. Is it because the Pooka doesn't want his friends to worry about him? Yep.

"You lost believers?" Teddy muttered under her breath and Bunny felt like he was slapped on the face. "Stay out of this, Teddy!" The rabbit angrily shouted. "Why?!" Teddy detached from the winter spirit. Bunny sucked in a mouthful of breaths and exhaled. He tried controlling his rising temper. He was in brink of losing his patience and if Teddy utters the sentence he dreads, he would snap. "Is it because it's my fault?!" That's it. She said it. He couldn't stop himself.

"YES!" He immediately regretted his answer when he looked at Teddy's impassive face. She was trying to hide the pain. "Because if it weren't for us saving your ass, this wouldn't have happened!" He continued as he pointed at the half-filled globe. "So you're blaming me?" Teddy took a step forward towards the seething rabbit.

"I told ya ta stay outta this! Yer a human!" _Wrong move, Aster._ Something snapped inside of Teddy. Tooth silently gulped. No one knew except for Tooth. Teddy's sensitive about this topic and her idiot of a colleague brought it up. "I don't care if I'm human, Aster!" Everyone's eyes went wide as saucers. Did she just call him _Aster_? Jack was about to grab Bunny's chest when Tooth grabbed his shoulder, sadly shaking her head. They aren't allowed to interfere unless the two started to hit each other. This is their fight.

"If it weren't for me, Jack would have died by now! If it weren't for me, you would have lost your so loved Guardian! Look here Aster, if you're in Jack's place, I would fucking save you! I would die in your place! I would die in any of your place!"

It's true, what Teddy said. Jack was the first target but Aelius captured her to toy with Jack's emotions. Aelius even tested the poison to Teddy before he would use it to Jack.

"I want to see all of you rejoice that one of you is safe, unharmed, untainted! I may be human but I have a life, a life that I would easily sacrifice to those who would hurt my family. Yes, Aster, I look at all of you as my family because I don't have a family anymore!"

They knew that this argument is going way too far. They knew that this isn't just about Bunny losing believers. They knew that this isn't just about Aelius capturing her. They knew that Teddy is keeping all of this inside her heart, locked away in a penetrable chest. They knew that the chest shattered and the well-constructed wall started to crumble.

"I look at North as my jolly and caring father! I look at Sandy as my grandfather whom I could trust and tell everything and even ask for advice! I look at Tooth as my doting mother who would love to have another girl to chat with! I look at Jack as my funny older brother! I look at you Aster, as my best friend and protective father as well!" She hated the tears but it stubbornly poured down her face.

"Don't look at me like I'm useless! I gave you a portion of believers! You don't what I've been doing as a human! All you care about is your pride and opinion! Newsflash, Aster, if you think of me as a mere human, I will drag Tooth into my room and let her erase my memories about all of you, about all of my childhood heroes. I would be clueless as to who are Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost, and the Sandman! I would forget all of you because after all, it's none of my business." The Guardians did a step back.

"Don't make me regret meeting all of you, Aster." Were her last words as she wobbly sprinted to her bedroom. No one dared to make a move or to catch Teddy. "I…" Aster couldn't finish his sentence. "I can't believe you allowed her to call you Aster." Tooth fluttered in front of him and tears were at the brink of her eyes. "Toothy, I…" The fairy suddenly burst into tears. "After all we've been through, you let her call you Aster." Bunny didn't know what to reply.

"She's practically mah daughter." He defiantly muttered and looked down at his hinds. "But she isn't!" Tooth's lavender eyes went wide at her own words and zoomed out of the window, flying back to her floating palace. He was about to tap the ground twice when North stopped him. The Russian man merely shook his head.

Bunny is so confused. He doesn't know what to do anymore. He didn't know how Teddy gave him a portion of his believers. Who would he catch up with? Tooth or Teddy? The two most important gals in his life. His mind is in turmoil. He unknowingly gripped his ears in frustration.

He doesn't know what to do and so he ran. He would always run away from his problems. Like the last time he ran out of their burrow when he had a quarrel with his mother. He ran and he doesn't have a destination in mind. Running is what he does best and so he did.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Yes, I did promise to update on the 14th but I was so tired and I fell on my bed and slept through the night. On the 15th, I had the worst case of writer's block. Everything I typed is crap so I stopped writing altogether and read Paper Towns by John Green. Today, I was so energetic and inspired that I finally produced this chapter. Worth 16 pages in MS Word. The next update would be on the night of the 21st since I already have school and my father only allowed me to update once a week. If I'm blessed and there is no homework on Wednesday, I will immediately update.

I know you all want to kill me because I threw another problem again. I'm so evil but I promise that the next chapter would be a happy one, I hope. Can someone please guess the reason why Bunny hated being called _Aster_? I'm begging all of you! Please, please, PLEASE? I promise there will be a prize.

The lullaby Tooth sang is _The Gartan Mother's Lullaby, _lyrics by Seosamh MacCathmhaoil (Joseph Campbell). I was searching for lullabies that time when I can't fall asleep because I have insomnia. I found this and I immediately fell in love with it. Meryl Streep sang the lullaby. You can search for it on Youtube. It's beautiful and alluring. If you have insomnia like me or just plain can't fall asleep, listen to this and it'll definitely lull you to a peaceful sleep.

Some foreign words from the lullaby:

1._ Aoibheall of Carraig Leath,_ (pronounced evil of carrickla)– Commonly known as _Aoibhinn the Beautiful._ She is the queen of the Northern Fairies.

2. _leanbhan_ (LYAN-uh-van)– It means little child, baby

3. Tearmann (CHAR-uh-muhn)– It means_ tearmann–_ sanctuary, refuge, or church land, name of village near Lough Gartan.

4._ Siabra_ (SHEE-vra)– Is a generic term for an Irish fairy of any kind. In ancient writings, the Tuatha de Danann, or little magicians of the Pagan Irish, were called _siabhra_ without distinction.

5._ The Green Man– _or Fear Glas in Irish. It is said that if you see him in the morning,_ no ill follows_; but if at night, death or some other terrible misfortune will surely overtake you. He is sometimes called _Fear Liath_, or the Grey Man.

I'm sorry for the typographical errors, missing words or letters and grammar mistakes. I type before I think. For clarifications, protests, rants and comments, feel free to leave a review below the chapter. Thank you very much my dear readers, followers, the ones who favourite-d and those who are lurking in the shadows.

Yours truly, Star.


	30. Forgiveness and Revelation

_Jailhouserocker3__– Thank you and I'm sorry for the short chapters but the next ones are longer. Once again, thank you and keep reading and reviewing._

_HandsomHolly__– I swear I'm so sorry. I'm still not sure if I'm really going to turn Teddy into a Guardian or not. Some readers might find it cliché and I don't want to disappoint you or them. I promise that the next chapters will be good and please don't kill me (lol). Wow! I never expect that my readers would cry. I guess that's a good thing. Teddy will not be forever in darkness. The next chapter will be a sweet one and happy one. There will be fluff romance and such. Thank you very much for making my day. I really like long reviews. Here is the chapter. Enjoy!_

_EmeraldRhino__– The reason is revealed below. Enjoy the chapter and keep reviewing! You always make me smile, I swear._

_Chocolate Spirit__– Yep, our school starts on June and ends on March. I know because I'm dying here. Oh well, enjoy the chapter._

* * *

Regret was all that he feels. He could hear his harsh breathing, the pounding of his heart and his swift running. Bunnymund is a prideful Pooka. He would never take back the things he said but he would forever regret saying it. He may not ask for forgiveness but he would feel the guilt forming in his heart and mind.

He kept running. He passed a lot of rooms, round up in corners but he found himself halting in front of a familiar room. He blinked back away the stubborn tears and held his harsh breath as he held the brass handle of the door. He always wished that maybe, just maybe, he has the power to take back the hurtful words that he said.

He put his paw on the door, tracing each of the fading carvings. There were autumn leaves and detailed snowflakes falling from an indefinite tree. The door was made out of pure mahogany and burnished with rich brownish-red color. He remembered how she really loves the autumn and the snow. He seemed so avid in feeling the wistfulness. He let out a profound sigh.

The door creepily creaked and slowly swung open. He was embraced with dust and a vague scent. He stepped inside. Everything was covered with a yellowish-white sheet. The room was forgotten and barely cleaned. Paw prints were left on the dusty floorboards. The room was not touched for five years after the occupant died.

He could still sniff her scent. She smelled of chocolate and honey. He never admitted it to anyone but he would always go to her bedroom when he needs to dwell with his tangled thoughts. Someone had the similar idea. He could hear faint sobbing and could smell vanilla, cappuccino and ointment. From his peripheral vision, he could see the rise and fall of her trembling shoulders.

She was curled up on the corner, hugging her knees and hiding her tear-streaked face. No one knew but she easily found this room when she visited the Santoff Claussen. They didn't know that she loves to explore and open doors and pass hallways. She had found this room and found everything intriguing. She felt her mother's presence in that room. She even decided to clean it after the end of her school year. She never got the chance.

There was an uproar occurring in his mind. Would he approach her? Would he comfort her? Would he simply stand there and let his guilt eat him in the inside? There are so many possibilities. He took a cautious step towards her, without her noticing. He didn't know why but he found himself crouching, bringing her huddled form on his chest and placed her head under his chin.

She felt she had a déjà vu. She clearly remembers what had happened. She remembers the time when she lunged towards him and cried on his furry chest. The memory was so vague and hazy but the feeling was imprinted on her heart. She remembers the time when mud clings onto their bodies, how he brought her home, tuck her to bed and kissed her goodnight. And now, she found herself crying on his chest once more.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, both to himself and to her. He doesn't care if she heard him or not. What matters the most is what's happening right now. They started to slowly release their bottled up demons. They knew that they are running away from themselves. They knew that they don't want to face their own demons. But now, they faced it together.

"No. I should be the one apologizing." She mumbled on his chest. She knew he would be able to pick that up. He had keen ears, after all. She sighed, both in distress and relief. He suddenly chuckled. "We both are." He replied and she found herself smiling. They have their errors. She should not have poke into other people's business. He should not have to blow up in front of her. She should not answer back. He should not blame her. But that is already forgotten as they forgive each other.

"Did you know that sometimes I ask myself, _what would I look like if Aster was my dad_?" He chuckled at her childish inquiry. "What would ya look like?" He felt her smiled. "I would definitely have grayish-blue hair. I would inherit the keen ears and the agility of a Pooka." He liked the sound of that. "If you were my dad, I know you're going to teach me something cool like Tai chi." He didn't know that she was so accurate.

"I would have an Australian accent but I could speak fluent and perfect English." He found himself amused and laughing while her hug around him tightened. "You would teach me how to fight and throw my boomerang. You would teach me how to mix dye and paint the eggs. You would bring me to one of your Easter Sundays or play in the Warren.

"When we go home, Mom will be there, cooking dinner for the three us and you would kiss me good night and pour someone of Sandy's dream sand on my head." The way she fantasized made him want for it to actually happen. That would be a sight to see.

"It would be nice if I have imprints like yours. I still don't know what my definite shape would be but maybe, I'll find out in the future, right?" He could hear her dreamily sighed. "Y'know, we get our imprints from our enemies." Emerald met emerald.

She brought her head up, looking inquisitively at him. She had stopped crying a moment ago. "Whatever do you mean?" She asked whilst titling her head. He heartily laughed. "Well, it's hard ta explain but I believe yers will be the sun." Once more, she found herself confused.

He saw the look on her face and smiled. He knew that she did not understand. "Well, ya were held captive by Aelius, yes?" She nodded but a shadow immediately befell on her face. He tried to erase that. "Imprints are complicated things. They would only appear when ya show tat ya are strong. Tat even though yer over yer limits, ya keep goin'." She still had the confused look but he knew she would understand it in the future.

"You love her right? My mother, I mean." He smiled. "Yeh." She had a toothy grin plastered on her face. "I remembered the time when my mother used to tell me about you before I go to sleep. She would tell it in the form of a bedtime story."

_Once upon a time, there was a lively party. She sauntered through the party. No one notices her enter. She found herself amongst the strangest of creatures. A bulky man who wore a pure red, velvet coat and clearly drunk. A woman in a form of some kind of bird, fluttering beside a blonde man with real wings and a red-haired girl wearing full green attire. _

_There was a boy with an uncanny white hair and had the coldest, blue eyes. He conversed with a raven-haired woman who had a regal air wrapped around her like a cloak. Her face wore an intimidating façade and that her gown looked like it was made out of clouds. A man in pure black drank with a lady wearing a dress made out of leaves. She found the crowd very… odd. _

_Her beauty captivated only one man. She wore a simple white dress with fake, tiny wings attached. The man asked her to dance and she gladly accepted. They talk about unimportant things. Things she could not even remember. She felt someone tugging her away from the man. She felt her hand slipped through his and slowly stepped away from the forlorn partner. _

_She gave him a blowing kiss, which he easily caught. He mumbled something she was not able to hear and everything went black. She found herself awoke from her sleep. Her mind was in turmoil. She had to get out of her house and so she did. She would always sit under a tree and read a book to clear her mind. She walked across the vast, grassy plain and found the lonely tree standing strong near the edge of the forest. _

_She found her dancing partner looking at her with an appalled face. "Aster?" She asked and he nodded. She dropped the basket she was carrying and lunged towards the man. She hugged him with all her heart and from that moment on, she knew she was falling. _

_As the years go by, she knew little bits about him. About how he is the best chocolatier in the world. About how he has a sexy, Australian accent. About how he managed to sweep her off her feet. She fell in love. Truly, madly, deeply in love. Everything went downhill from there. She could not find herself to tell her parents that there was this man who she loved and wanted to marry. She could not find herself to say yes to the man's proposal. She could not believe herself that she accepted another man's hand. _

_She regretted everything she had and the man she loved, the Aster she knew completely disappeared from her life. He did not visit when her daughter was born. The daughter he never had. He did not attend his supposed daughter's first birthday. He did not appear and she knew it was her fault. But she always wished every night that maybe, just maybe, her daughter would be able to meet Aster in the future. After all, he was supposed to be her father. _

He almost cried at the retelling of the story. He could not forget about Celia. He would always love her with all his heart and soul. "When I first met you," she implied, "I was so intrigued of the story behind your name. It always makes me wonder if you're _the _Aster my mother is talking about. I can't believe you were just under my nose all along." They both smiled.

"I'm sorry." She said after a pregnant pause. "For what?" He found himself asking. "For suddenly disappearing and blowing up." She looked solemn. "Nah, shiela. I'm sorry tat I blamed ya, it's not yer fault." And they both forgave each other. He licked her forehead as a sign of reconciliation when she suddenly pushed him away. She looked terrified, her emerald eyes dilating and a gasp escaping from her lips. "Somethin' wrong, Ted?" She vigorously shook her head. He did not further prod her.

He stood up and carried her, wiping the sooth from her pajamas and her face. She snuggled on his chest while they walked towards her bedroom. He laid her to her bed and kissed her good night. "Sweet dreams, shiela." And she smiled. He quietly closed the door and found himself heading back to the Globe Room. He felt ashamed from what he had done but he would make things right this time.

Two pairs of similar blue eyes stared at him worriedly. "Bunny?" The Russian man inquired. "Yeh, mate?" He sat on his haunches. "Is everything alright?" Bunny plastered a tired smile and North returned the simple gesture. A comfortable silence fell. He noticed North nudged the quiet boy with his bulky shoulder. Jack looked at St. Nick with panicking eyes but with a glare and bob of the head made him stepped in front of Bunny.

"Ah, Bunny," the winter spirit started to stutter, "why would you not let anyone call you Aster?" The question was out and an awkward, deafening silence covered them like a thick blanket. In times like this, it was very rare for Jack to stutter and to fidget. The boy was sometimes indirect and straightforward. He could be sometimes persuasive when need to be. Maybe it was because North warned him that it was sensitive topic to Bunny. Either way, this was unnatural sight indeed.

Bunny felt another sigh escaped his lips. He tried to avoid this question but it was inevitable. He did not want to tell explain to Jack the horror of losing someone's kind but it needs to be told. "My family calls me _Aster._" He begins the story. "No one is allowed ta call ya by yer name unless ya are family. It was in the Pooka tradition." He found Jack nodding. "My kin was murmured and I was the last of our kind." Jack looked at him with dilated, blue blue eyes.

"I neva wanted ta relive ta things I dealt with and so I ordered everyone ta not call me Aster." Bunny cannot meet Jack in the eyes. "He punched me twice when I called him that." Jack whipped around to see North sheepishly rubbing the back of his head while chuckling. "He snapped at Tooth and almost threw Sandy into the water." The winter spirit slightly gulped. He was actually planning on pranking Bunny by calling him _Aster_. He didn't know that the bunny could be lethal in times like that.

"I neva wanted ta tell ya." Bunnymund thinly smiled at Jack. "Why?" He found his childish innocence getting the better of him. "You just looked so much like _him._" A lot of years had passed but Jack still did not understand that statement.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

I fucking HATE this chapter. So rushed, so short and so lame. I want to re-edit this but I don't have time to do so. School already started and I'm loaded with so much schoolwork. I hate this! I'm so tired already. I can't keep my eyes open last night so I was unable to write this chapter. Please bear with my late updates. I would update once or twice a week if I could find any spare time.

Hope you like it because the _Torturing Sun_ arc of the story is finally done and the next chapter would be the beginning of a new one. Expect the new chapter by tomorrow or on Friday, June 28, 2013.

For comments, violent reactions, clarifications, please leave a review my dear readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d and those you are lurking in the shadows.

Your tired author, Star.


	31. Recovery and Awkward Confessions

_EmeraldRhino– You just brightened my whole day. You really make me smile. Thank you very much and I really __appreciated the tears, okay. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you. Enjoy!_

_LittleRedRiddingWolf– Thank you very much and here is the chapter. Sorry for the wait!  
_

_Chocolate Spirit__– I can't. I want to be a second honor, hehe. Thank you very much and here it is! Enjoy. _

_HandsomHolly–Holy! That's so long. I __appreciate really long reviews so keep it up! Why are you on a boat? Aww, thank you so much! You're really enthusiastic. I imagined you and it just brightened my day. I'm very sorry for the long wait but here it is. I hope it's very fluffy to you since you're a die hard romantic. Enjoy! _

_Xion5– Thank you so much and here is the chapter!_

_Please refer to the songs; Fix You by Coldplay and Just A Kiss by Lady Antebellum. It would help you enjoy the events below. _

* * *

Jack Frost believed that reality could never transcend the aesthetics of fantasy. Sometimes, he wished there is a different world in which he could constantly run away to. A world where he could manipulate things and alter events. A world where he could create thousands of people that can see him and have fun with him. A world where he can find Teddy smiling. A world that is owned by just the two of them. He'd love that.

He never noticed that a smile curved on his face. The booming music cut through the silence, like a knife that was blindly thrown by a circus performer to a doubtful target. His blue, blue eyes softened when his gaze fell upon the lively people. North tightly gripped a drumstick, replacing a nonexistent mic as he sang at the top of his lungs with Teddy who was holding a broomstick. They were jamming Russians by Sting with the occasional swing of their bodies to go with melancholic rhythm of the song.

It was a lazy Saturday and the Guardians decided to take (another) day-off which constantly happens since the arrival of their newest Guardian and newest companion. Everyone gathered in the North Pole, the place where most gatherings, parties and trivial events like breakfast, occur. The quartet waited for the their other two colleagues to finish night-shifts and arrive. And so to waste time, they decided to plug the gigantic speakers and jam.

Jack, being the killjoy for once, backed out on this one. He normally joins any activity that would ignite fun and challenge but he's not one to sing. It's not that he's not good at singing but the fact that it helps in arousing certain memories that makes him emotionally unstable. He doesn't want to become temporarily a wreck in front of the people he very much loved so he back out from the enthusiastic jammers.

Someone had the similar idea. From his peripheral vision, he saw his rival, Bunnymund smiling and laughing when Teddy or North sang the lyrics wrongly. He remembered the past events in which the Pooka was the highlight of the day. Especially, when he decided to apologize to Tooth. That had been a hilarious day for Jack. It took a whole day before he prod Tooth out of her beloved palace. It was a sight to see.

Almost all of the mini-fairies glared and tweeted obscenities at him when he got out of his tunnel. Baby Tooth was the only sane one who did not jab the struggling bunny. The brave, little fairy tried to calm her sisters down as they tried to make their way to Tooth's personal quarters. That's when hell breaks loose. It took an indefinite amount of stuttering of Australian apologies from Bunny (something that Tooth can understand while the others cannot, much to Jack's dismay) and a lot of throwing of furniture and curses in different languages from Tooth before she forgave the wrangled Pooka.

Jack, Sandy and North were all there in case Tooth unknowingly decided to skin the Pooka alive in uncontrollable frustra– er, wrath. Teddy, much to her dismay, was left in Santoff Claussen to rest or else, a wrathful hummingbird and mother-like figure would chew out the remaining trio. All is well that ends well.

Jack had a sheer amount of happiness coursing through his body. It took only two days for Teddy to return back to her old, normal self, or what's left of it. If today ends fabulously well, maybe– just maybe, he could tell everything that he felt and feels to Teddy. _Let's not get our hopes up, Jack. _"WOAH!" The sudden exclaim dragged Jack back to reality, making his train of thought crashed in an endless pit of forgetfulness. He whipped around to see Teddy dragging the ragged bunny towards the makeshift stage.

Teddy started to plea. Jack could never make out the exact words because of the loud music booming from the speakers but he knew what she is pleading about. The girl wants Bunny to jam with them. From the look of Bunny's face, he was torn in between stubbornly denying and _heck-it-could-be-fun. _Teddy used her sick-kid card, _damn that evil teddy bear_, and the warrior reluctantly accepted the request. Bunny couldn't help but to sing along when Tears for Fears' Everybody Wants to Rule the World started to play.

Jack heartily chortled, making the Pooka half-heartedly glared at him and his grip tightened around the similar drumstick North handed him. The Easter Bunny was good at singing, he have to admit. The way his Australian accent intermingles with the tune and the lyrics could make almost everyone have an eargasm. Teddy actually paused just to listen to Bunny singing the chorus of the song. Everyone was captivated by the rabbit's singing voice. Even the elves stopped scampering just to listen.

As Bunny noticed the buzzing of the crowd started to lull, Teddy started singing again in order for the Pooka not to excuse and run. Jack let another grin slipped on his face. Although, his thoughts started to drag him back inside the train. What could happen after this small gathering? Would he confess or let everything go back to the way it used to be? When he and Teddy were just friends. This is making his heard spin like those figure skaters.

Jack never really knew the feeling and meaning of love. For him, it's all just a blur. He never remembered the time when his mother tenderly caressed him. He never remembered all the time he spent with his younger sister. He never remembered the time he courted or kissed a girl from his hometown. He would never admit it to himself but he was feeling doubtful.

Will Teddy accept his feelings? They were never the puzzle pieces that fit together. They were from two different sets. She is a human, he is an immortal. His grip visibly tightened and his wooden staff, making his skin tone paler than usual. His sparkly, white teeth gnawed his _already _abused lower lip and bit it harder that it oozes droplets of blood. He remembered a play he watched in the 1600's. A play written by William Shakespeare. He played a piece from that specific play adaptation. He laughed bitterly. He found out that he clearly despised that certain play.

He never understood why Romeo and Juliet would kill themselves to be with the one they loved. Jack believed that sacrifice is an act of love. Would he do that for Teddy? But the children need him. He never took the time to consider that idea. To die for the one you loved. He was alone for three centuries and he knew that he shut himself from the world. Dwelling with emotions is not his cup of tea.

But now, things are different. Maybe, people do get what they want if they suffer or persevere. He got a family that would be there no matter what happens. He knew that they would not turn their backs if he did something wrong. He got the Guardians and he was forever grateful for that. But there was Teddy. She is family. He loves her, finally he admitted it! But she was human, that damn undeniable fact.

He would never allow Teddy to sacrifice herself for him. He would never allow her to become an immortal and watch her family and friends age and die. He can't bear with the thought that Teddy would be willing to accept an immortal life just for him. An insane-driven, lonely, immortal life. He would never want Teddy to live that kind of life. He would let her live her human life and maybe, just maybe, Man in the Moon realizes that there is something special inside of Teddy after all.

He released the breath he never knew he was holding. This is all just too stressful. Teddy would never do that, he assured himself. But she almost did, his conscience would always butt in. It was the bitter truth. If it wasn't for Teddy, Jack could have tasted the poison Aelius made her drank. After all, Teddy is the human tester and he was the main specimen. He never knew why Aelius did such a thing. Was it because he was jealous of Jack being the first seasonal spirit that became a Guardian? Was it because of Teddy? How he wanted his lover to be as healthy as her.

If this was a movie, you could clearly hear the screech of the car tires or the halted wheels of the train. Jack never noticed that the music abruptly stopped and that a small uproar was occurring near the plugged speakers. His heart started to rapidly beat and his head started to vigorously pound. It was an unnaturally normal sight but it still frightens all of them.

After the slow recovery of Teddy from the poisoning, her body started to shockingly weakened. She could still do the normal, everyday movements but not for a long span of time. She would have, what the Guardians called, seizures. In which she suddenly falls or clutch her chest. She would have an irregular heartbeat and her breathing labored. It would only take a few minutes for it to stop but it was horrifying altogether. They would normally bring her to her room for her to rest. A reason as to why she can't go home to Burgess yet.

They knew that her father is worried sick but they could not send her back just yet. Adults who don't believe in them must not interfere with their work or there would be a disturbance in the balance of humans and immortals. Humans and immortals don't normally interact because they get too attached. Immortals don't like humans to suspect something.

Jack blinked a couple of times, trying to bring himself back to reality. His instincts are too slow whenever he's in one of his long muses. Teddy staggered a bit, making the Guardians into a slight tint of frenzy. Bunny gently grabbed her shoulder to steady her and North's arms were spread out if ever Teddy unceremoniously falls. Jack removed himself from his perch and put his arm around Teddy's shoulders. She smiled.

"I'll take her." His normal, mischievous smirk is still plastered on his face but deep down, they all knew that the boy is the most worried among them. Even more worried than Pitch and her parents combined. Bunny nodded and North thinly smiled. The duo started to make their way through the maze of Santoff Claussen's hallways. They immediately fell in a comfortable silence. Jack liked that. He wanted someone to stay with him in a comfortable silence for a long span of time and muse about unimportant, little things. And Teddy is the perfect one to stay with him.

His thoughts were interrupted when his partner heartily chuckled. "What?" He said accompanied with a confused look. "Nothing. You're just so adorable when you think." That was an unusual compliment to Jack. "What makes you say that?" He quirked an eyebrow. She broke into a beaming smile, as if she was glad that he asked her that specific question. "Your eyebrows slightly furrowed and your eyes looked so determined, as if you want to do your thoughts right away. You sometimes pout or grins like a maniac. I particularly like that of you." She abruptly turned her head away. Jack never noticed but her face was burning a hundred degrees. She can't believe she slipped.

"Really? Never saw myself like that." They both chortled, their giggles intermingling with one another, making a melodic childish glee that can bring smiles on people's faces even on their darkest days. They once again fell in a comfortable silence. Teddy suddenly tripped, making the both of them swayed. Jack's hand immediately gripped both the girl's shoulders.

"Are you okay?" He asked and his facade fell. He was deeply worried. Deeper than all the oceans combined. He felt like if Teddy dies, he dies. As if their lives were tied with one another. And Jack didn't know how precise he was. "I'm fine." She replied and straightened her posture, something she constantly does to show that she is strong and composed, very much akin to a sturdy tree. "Liar." He retorted because it was true. She smiled a nostalgic smile.

Teddy never noticed that they stopped and that she was in front of her room. Jack's hand intertwined with hers as he gently pushes the door open. It makes an eerie, creaking sound as they stepped inside. Jack suddenly put his cold hand on the middle of her back and his other one under her knees. She shrieked in surprise, making Jack laughed that somehow she found addicting. "Don't do that, Jack." She protested but and bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. The winter spirit pouted adorably. "You're so mean, Teddy."

She laughed a melodic laugh. Jack smiled a wide smile as he put her on her bed. He tucked the sheets under her chin and kissed her forehead. "Good night, Boobear." He smirked. "It's not bedtime yet, Snowy." Her lower lip jutted into a pout. She acted like a five-year-old child. Jack merely chuckled and he headed towards the door. "I'll wake you up when it's time for dinner." Teddy playfully blew a raspberry. "You act like a parent." The hellion half-heartedly glared at her. "Maybe I do have a child." Teddy rolled her eyes. If they continue this banter, she wouldn't get some sleep. She was tired but she can't admit it both to herself and to them.

"Fine, fine. I'll sleep." She then turned to her side and snuggled on her forearm to emphasize what she meant. She heard another chuckle from Jack and the click of the door. She sighed in distress. Is it worth it to confess your feelings? She knew she would never get the right time to confess to Jack. After all, she is human and he is immortal. They just don't fit. She released another profound sigh. Maybe they should just stay friends for the greater good. She slept a suffocating sleep.

* * *

_She blinked a couple of times to ensure that this was not a nightmare. It is, much to her dismay. Something tickled her back and something green and yellow obscured her field of view. She found herself lying on the lush green grass. She giggled softly as it tickled her nose and yellow butterflies curiously flutter above her, asking their kin as to why a human girl like her found their sanctuary. _

_She slowly sat up, her gaze falling on the vast and endless meadow filled with pungent-scented flowers and fluttering, crumbling insects. She found it very, very disturbing. She looked above and it was so disturbing she wanted to run. The sky was messily painted with pure red color and a lot of different-colored eyes bore a hole at her. She hurriedly stood up and ran, ran, ran! She knew that running was pointless. That she would come back from where she started but she had to because it was disturbing. _

_She ran, ran, ran! Everything screamed _morbid_. The scenery never changed and she knew that she would not escape this boundless meadow. She swatted the crumbling insects and tried her best not to be prickled by those thorn-like grasses. She covered her nose and mouth and tried her best to avoid smelling the flowers. The place was horrible. _

_She suddenly bumped into something. She had not been paying attention and unknowingly closed her eyes to stop the scenery from imprinting on her mind. She fell on her bottom and she rubbed the sore spot coming from her pinkish nose. Her eyelids fluttered open and found herself gazing at her reflection. It was a mirror with cracked edges. The mirror, like the meadow, was very disturbing. _

_It had an angel's head sat on the very top and it grinned maliciously at her and looked at her with a hungry look. The frame of the mirror was devoured by rust and that it started to slowly melt. She found herself in Alice's shoes, to be lost in an unknown, creepy world. She cautiously stood up, trying to keep what's left of her sanity. She took a cautious step toward the mirror. She found herself getting attracted to the mirror. She brought her hand up and lightly touched the surface. It sizzled and burned the tips of her fingers but she could not bring herself to remove it._

_She could still see the meadow from the reflection, only slightly different. The grass wasn't as sharp as a knife. The fluttering insects never crumble to dust. There was no messily painted red sky or the unblinking, judging eyes. She could see a shining sun gracing its rays on the meadow. Bright, blue sky was filled with fluffy, white clouds. It looked like paradise. Although, her reflection scared the living daylights out of her. _

_Instead of a 16-year-old girl, she was older and was wearing a black blazer and matching black pants. She carried a stack of papers. Her reflection creepily smiled at her. The sun in the mirror started to set. The moon appears, the moon fades away, the sun rises and she found her reflection getting older and older until she was a wrinkly, grey woman. Suddenly, a cold arm was wrapped around her shoulders. She slightly jumped. "Calm down, Snowy. It's only me." A voice reassured and vibrated into a chuckle. She heard that voice before. _

_She looked at her right and saw a familiar mop of white hair. Jack. He was wearing his usual attire and carried his oh-so-familiar staff. She stared back at her reflection and her heart shatter to a million tiny pieces. The boy was still there, young and dashing as ever, while she looked like an ancient woman. The winter spirit continued to smile at her, continued to love her even though she was old and dingy. The sun stopped moving and the boy's mischievous smile unceremoniously dropped. _

_He mouthed something that frightened her. "Good bye." Jack was gone and the mirror turned grey, her reflection disappearing. Slowly, ever so slowly, her hand was swallowed by the mirror and she was sucked in. She felt like she was drowning. She lost her sight and the liquefied glass suffocated her, feeling her lungs with water and rough sand. Everything stopped moving and she stopped breathing. Everything went pitch black and she lost consciousness._

* * *

_A shrill cry penetrated the silence. She was able to breathe freely and her eyelids fluttered open. The cry was so alarming, she wanted to make it stop. Her gaze fell upon the flickering fire. Her gaze roamed around and drank in the surroundings. She found herself in a small shack. The family who live there were not poor, but not rich as well. She didn't know where she was but she felt somewhat at home, as if she belonged there. There was another cry that made goosebumps crawl on her skin._

_She followed where the thunderous sound came from and peeked in one of the rooms. There was a wooden crib placed beside the wall and she crept in to looked at the tiny occupant. It was a boy with pale skin and brown, brown eyes. He found the boy adorable. "Jack?" She suddenly jumped when someone appeared beside her. The older woman could not see her as she lifted her son from his crib. The mother murmured sweet nothings and soothed the agitated baby. The loud whines soon turned into sobs and the boy adorably sucked his thumb._

_The older woman cooed and placed her son back to his crib and placed a good night kiss on his forehead. The baby slightly giggled. Something snapped behind her and she looked around, only to find out that she was in another scenery. There was the same boy, only older, running through the trees while annoyed-looking men tried to catch him. His melodic laughter penetrated her ears and made her smile. The now-older boy stuck his tongue out at the men and started climbing the tree. _

_"JACKSON!" One of the men bellowed. "You can't reach me!" He teased and further climbed up. "Don't ever put vinegar on our ale or else!" One of the men threatened. The other villagers laughed while the others frowned. "Jack is such a playful child." One of them whispered to the other. "Jack is so funny!" Some of the children praised. "I guess we have a prankster in our quaint village." The last comment made her feel woozy. _Could it be?

_The scene changed and the boy was taller and that he looked so anxious and excited. "Calm down, Jack." His father smiled and placed his hand on top of his son's shoulder. They stared at the closed door and she could laboured breathing and gasps. "One more push, Mrs. Overland." One of the faint voices whispered. She heard a loud exclaim and a thunderous cry. Another child was born. The two men burst into the room and surrounded their mother hen._

_The midwife handed the cleaned baby to her mother. They all cooed. "She's so adorable." The mother said. "What should we name her?" The man mused. The two looked at their first child who seemed to be fidgety. "What do you think, Jack?" His mother asked. "Rosie. Rosie is the perfect name." And everyone agreed. The scenery changed again and a lot of different images were displayed. There was a time when the boy's younger sister warned her to get off from the tree. There was a time when they gathered around the fire and the boy started telling stories._

_There was also a time when the older brother protected her sister from bullies. The blurry images stopped and she was suddenly in the open. The siblings were there, balancing themselves on the surface of the thin ice. They are laughing and dancing as the boy taught his sister how to skate. That's when disaster struck. The ice started to crack. She tried to help them. She tried to reach them but she was paralysed and was invisibly chained on her spot. She watched the boy as he tried to calm his sister. She watched the boy pretend that it's all just a game. _

And the tears come streaming down your face.  
When you lose something you can't replace.  
When you someone but it goes to waste.  
Could it be worse?

_She saw the boy fell. She saw his sister tried to call for him. She saw his sister ran to her family. She saw the villagers tried to save the heroic boy. She saw them shake their head, as if saying that there is nothing they can do. She saw how the years had passed and the village was dull without their prankster. She saw his little sister cry herself to sleep everyday. She saw how the girl blamed herself for the death of her brother. She saw how too early the boy's life ended. She saw how it affected almost all of the villagers. She saw the boy fell and drown and she did nothing. She just stared. _

Tears stream down your face.  
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes.  
Tears stream down your face.

* * *

She suddenly jolted and sat up. Her hand automatically pressed her chest, trying to stop her rapidly beating heart. She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and tried to calm herself down. She hated waking up from a nightmare. Wait, it was not a nightmare. It was a warning if she chose wrong. Time is such a complex invention. No one can manipulate it. No one can alter it. No one could get ahold of it. Time lives on its own. It governed its own world.

She took a deep breath and exhaled. She felt so exhausted. She never got much rest. She was about to look at the clock when something shifted. Emerald met sapphire. The owner of those blue, blue eyes looked so broken and frazzled. He was panting and his eyes were wide as saucers. "Te…" He gasped out, "…ddy." His lips pressed into a thin line and he took a cautious step forward. He paused and suddenly sprinted to hug her. "Oomph."

"You're okay." He breathed out. Teddy could feel the hammering of the boy's heart. His actions unnerved the hell out of her. Jack was a nonchalant, mischievous winter spirit. Not a worried, frazzled, North-like boy. She never saw him acted like this before but then again, there is a first in everything.

"I'm fine. It's just a nightmare." She was not quite sure if she was reassuring the boy or herself. The boy's hug tightened around her. "I'll murder Pitch for you." He joked but there was a tinge of anger mixed with his voice. Oh how didn't know about their friendship. She laughed at the bitter truth. She would never get the chance to break the news to others. "No need. I'm fine, really." She still wonder who she is actually reassuring.

"I heard you screaming my name. I got…" He abruptly paused. He looked into her eyes and sighed. "I got scared. I thought something bad happened to you." He slightly gulped and looked away. "'M fine." She repeated once more. "I know." He found the butt of his staff interesting. "But I'm still scared, ya know." She didn't know what to possibly say.

_Lyin' here with you so close to me.  
__It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe.  
__I'm caught up in this moment, caught up in your smile. _

She lay back to her bed and sighed heavily. She wants the nightmares to stop. She admitted that the nightmares terrified her. She still couldn't get the image out of her head. How Jack fell into the lake in order to save his little sister. She couldn't digest the fact that the boy she loves died once. She could not let herself believe that he would not die again. "You drowned." It was more of a statement than a question.

Jack's blue, blue eyes went wide. "How did you..?" He couldn't bring himself to finish his question. He couldn't believe that Teddy knew all along. He couldn't believe that MiM would do such a thing. That's not something Teddy should dream about. He could not bear with the thought that Teddy saw him drowned. "I saw you drowned," Jack wanted to block her voice, "I saw you saved your sister. I saw how you were born, how your life ended. I saw everything." Teddy tried her best not to break into tears.

"I was afraid too." She tried to think straight but her body took control. "I was afraid that even though you are an immortal, you could still meet Death." The dam burst. She started to cry. She couldn't believe that her body is capable of supplying her with so many tears. She didn't know where she got those tears. She already forgot the promise she made to herself. That she would not cry after her mother's death but she couldn't help not to. She is such an emotional wreck (and this story is so depressing, you wanna throw the writer a piece of furniture).

_I've never opened up to anyone.  
__So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms.  
__We don't need to rush this, let's just take it slow. _

Jack scooted closer and brought her in his arms once more. She clung around his neck and sob uncontrollably. The nightmare affected her so much. Unlike most nightmares, she would release her bottled up emotions on a drawing but now; she released it all to the poor winter child. "I was afraid too, Teddy." Jack whispered and he hugged her tighter, giving her a sense of comfort and security.

"I was afraid that Aelius would take you away from us, from me." There was a pregnant pause. "When you were abused and shot, I felt like half of me died inside. All I could see that time was your blood and only one thought continuously rung in my head, _Teddy was going to die." _He laughed bitterly. "When Aelius kidnapped you, I panicked. Well, that's a given but it felt more extreme. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't stop myself from thinking of the worst case scenarios." She stopped crying altogether.

"I cannot contain my anger about how slow we are in searching you. When I saw you chained on the wall, I was quite relieved because you were in arm's reach. I felt so complete again. I felt like I had lost a massive piece of myself." He let out a profound sigh. "Teddy, I…" He paused. Teddy's mind was in turmoil. _Is he going to say it? _"Agh! Why couldn't I say it?" He suddenly exclaimed. She didn't notice that her heart started to rapidly beat again.

Jack gently grabbed her shoulders and reluctantly looked at her in the eye. Teddy found the stare nauseating. It's like Jack is looking inside her soul, trying to find her out. Trying to read her like an open book but Teddy wasn't one. His gaze pierced through her and she almost drowned in sapphire liquid. "If I couldn't bring myself to say it," He muttered to himself. Teddy could feel her face heat up.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight.  
__Just a touch of the fire burning so bright.  
__And I don't want to mess this thing up.  
__No, I don't want to push too far. _

The winter spirit slowly leaned in and she couldn't help but went rigid. He softly kissed her on the lips. Like most first kisses, it was sweet and awkward. Teddy never felt like this before. She was woozy and giddy at the same time. She was also stupefied and unresponsive at the moment. She could feel everything burst inside of her.

Do you get that pounding feeling when you watched the fireworks burst in the sky? She could feel it. She felt so complete and the kiss felt so right. She could feel Jack's hands burning on her shoulders. Every touch was electrifying. She found her lips numb from the cold but her warmth would always keep the temperature in its normal digit. She was intoxicated. She could feel everything from the kiss. She could feel everything that Jack bottled up. It was breathtaking.

Their arms were still around one another as they explored each other's lips. They never noticed but moonbeams started to make its way in the room. Man in the Moon wasn't one to interrupt but he liked to be the witness of this lovely act. He knew that Teddy was only human but he had plans in stored for her.

_Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
__be the one I've been waiting for my whole life  
__So baby, I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight. _

Jack couldn't help but wish to freeze this moment. They could stay like this forever. Lost in each other's lips but an annoyance called air interrupted them and they broke apart. Both of them were out of breath and quite flustered. Their warm and cold breaths intermingled with one another. They were both disappointed that the kiss ended but they knew that there would be a next time.

"I love you." He whispered those three little words that can express everything or nothing. He was actually scared when he spilled it out. What if Teddy would not answer? What if the kiss was only a dream? "I love you too." It was not a dream. It felt so real and he couldn't help himself but smile and laugh. The right corner of Teddy's lips went upward and she smiled a crooked smile. Jack wasn't the only who was happy.

_I know that we give this a little time  
__It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find.  
__It's never felt so real, no, it's never felt so right. _

"What now?" He didn't care at all. Teddy was his and he was hers. That's what matters most. "Let the future decide." She liked that answer. "Good night, Jack." She whispered when she felt exhaustion took ahold of her. They could continue this tomorrow and they still have to break the news to the rest of the gang. "Don't say good night." The boy whispered sadly. "Good night doesn't mean good bye, Jack." She heartily chuckled. "It is, for me." She smiled.

_No, I don't want to say goodnight.  
__I know it's time to leave.  
__But you'll be in my dreams  
__Tonight, tonight, tonight. _

"Then stay with me." She tapped the empty space beside her. Jack crawled beside her and placed his ever-so-famous staff on the wall and sat beside the girl that was his precious snowflake. His hand intertwined with hers. He once again leaned and pecked her lips good night. "Together?" He whispered as his forehead came in contact with hers. "Forever." This is the end of the chapter. But the beginning of a new story.

_Lights will guide you home.  
And ignite your bones.  
And I will try to fix you._

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Finally! The long-awaited chapter is here. I'm very sorry for the two-week delay. So many stressful schoolwork and I had writer's block. I already started working on this chapter last week but so many things happened, I got very tired and I could not write properly. I had to revise the nightmare six times! Don't worry, there would only be a rare occurrence of nightmares this time. The story doesn't end yet, okay?

Update will be on Monday. So how was it? Too bad? Too blunt? Tell me. I really need your opinion because since I started school, I got suck at writing. Also, I'm removing my real name from my profile because a lot of my friends are stalking me and I don't want them to find out about this account. This is my secret life. I don't want them to ruin it.

For clarifications, violent reactions, comments and rants, please leave a review. Thank you very much and I hope a lot of people would review because they brightens my day and it's really what keeps me going.

Yours truly, Star.


	32. Tardy and Forgetful

"I told you so."

Suppressing a groan, he sent the hummingbird a toothy grin. The fairy giggled and squealed at the same time and flutter away to the direction of another fallen tooth. Every time Tooth and Jack crossed paths, even just a bump on the shoulder, that would be the Tooth Fairy's constant greeting. He could not admit it to himself but the woman was actually the one who kept insisting that he loves Teddy and Teddy loves him.

Closing his eyes, he counted to ten and sighed the breath he never remembered holding. He was getting annoyed or it's the fact that Jack doesn't like people rubbing the juicy topic on his face. He shook his head and zoomed away from St. Petersburg. He looked down and admired the city lights of the neighboring buildings. He did a little wave with his wooden staff and tiny, beautiful snowflakes fell, cushioning the cities with a thick, white blanket.

The Wind twirled him around as he flies back to South America. He already brought a snowfall in more than three continents so his job is finished for the day. He also met a few kids that can see him, play with him, laughed with him and believed in him. He was so attention-starved, he couldn't stop laughing and sniffing that time. The wide smile could not be wiped from his face.

He reminisced with the events that happened earlier, he never noticed that he was in the heart of Pennsylvania. The Wind guided him to his lake back and ruffled his messy, white hair as his toes touched the frozen surface of the lake. The lake simply brought him comfort and he always felt at home. He started to skate. Skating makes him feel nostalgic and somewhat guilty. He closed his blue, blue eyes, shutting the world from his thoughts.

Jack flawlessly did a twirl here and there, skate around the whole lake and just glide like a bird. Something suddenly snapped. Jack whirled around so fast, he almost slipped. Calculating, blue eyes scanned the perimeter and his staff at the ready to point and shoot. The winter wind howled, making the pine trees shiver but no one dared to make a move. He followed where the snap emanated, casting his glance back and forth.

With cautious steps, he manuevered towards the bush where the snap occurred the loudest. Jack could feel someone staring at him from the shadows. He never bothered to attack. He didn't want to get caught in a heated battle. He paused and eyed the area but found nothing provoking or intimidating, except for an elaborate drawing of a teddy bear on the crystal, white snow.

He sucked in a mouthful of breaths and his eyes widened a fraction. A memory suddenly slapped him so hard on the face. He was late for their _supposed _movie night. He immediately flew off, not noticing the Nightmare King frowning at his forgetfulness and tardiness. One phrase kept cycling in his mind. _Oh, shit._

* * *

One thing that Teddy hates is forgetting something important or being late for something important as well. She hates Jack Frost right now. It's not about the fact that he's going to miss their night, it's about how she's going to start her senior year a couple of weeks from now and that summer is approaching very fast due to serious climate change. She clearly knows that Jack can tolerate the spirit of spring and spring itself but not summer. He's greatest enemy and probably hers as well.

It's a pity that no one would take care of summer this year. It would just come as it please and leave when it got bored. Teddy let out a profound sigh and lied down on her bed. Staring at her glow-in-the-dark stars taped on the ceiling, she reminisced. The floorboards quietly creeked and her green eyes gazed at dim light outside. Her father was going to bed. She remembered his face when she came back a day or two after the incident. Teddy didn't stop persuading the Guardians to let her return Burgess.

They constantly explained that they won't want humans to interfere, especially adults. The Guardians just don't want for her father to know what happened to her. She can't just say, "Hey, dad. I'm home now and I'm sorry for disappearing for a week because a summer spirit chained me on a wall and forcefully shoved poison down my throat but don't worry, I'm okay now because this so-called Guardians cured me." She let out an unlady-like snort.

When she had knocked on the door, a brilliant idea from the great mind of Jack Frost, her father answered and his eyes blinked and blinked again. She remembered her dad's face when she mumbled a greeting. His mouth opened and closed, as if he was fish out of water. He crossed his arms and let out a choked, "Where have you been, young lady?" Teddy didn't get the chance to answer the question as she was engulfed in a bear hug. Arthur cried on her shoulder for the whole five minutes.

The thing that scared her the most that time when he asked where she slept and ate. Of course, she sputtered a lie, not that it's gonna help her case or anything. Teddy explained to her father that she had stayed in a friend's house, and her friend being Jack. Immediate father instinct dawned on Arthur's face before letting his daughter continue her explanation. She slept in a guy's house, for God's sake!

She spicyed up the story by saying that she was venturing in the woods where she tripped and slammed her head on the ground. Jack found her there and kaboom, she was staying in his house. It was not one of Teddy's best lies but it would suffice. Arthur bought it though. One of the things that scared her was that Arthur was inviting Jack for dinner as a sign of gratitude for saving his daughter's life.

Teddy mentally snorted that. Again, she doesn't need any saving. She was not some damsel in distress. The only excuse she could muster was that Jack never interacted with people, thus the reason why there's a bungalow near the lake. Arthur had some suspicion on his face before reluctantly postponing that dinner.

Teddy was grounded for two months and would not go out of the house without the consent of her father. She can't go to her destination without being driven there by her father, even if it's as near as the park. Her curfew is merely nine o'clock sharp in the evening. Her father would stikl give her a week allowance, but not enough to transport her to far away places. She would not leave the house without her cellphone fully charged and that her house keys were conpiscated.

She let out the longest of groans but agreed. It was her fault that she got this punishment. But Jack was the one who got depressed. He had these plans formulated inside his head. About how he's going to give her a world tour and how they're going to skate on the still-frozen lake. Teddy rubbed her eyes as she got sleepy. Where was Jack, anyway?

The sound of her alarm clock ticking started to lull her to sleep. It was already bedtime after all. She suppressed a yawn and rubbed her eyes once more. She never noticed that she's trying to get comfortable on her bed. A gesture in which she do every time she wants to go to sleep. Slipping under her comforters, Teddy let out a final yawn before the tiredness succumbed her.

_"Miss Ted!" She whipped her head around and looked at the empty, gray room. "Who's there?" She called out. No one answered for a while before a scream suddenly echoed inside the room. "Miss Ted, you left me!" She realized it was a child's voice. Something scurried behind her back and she turned around to see a familiar boy with straw-colored hair and shifting feet. Leo. _

_"I..." She tried to defend herself but she knew she had curhsed his dreams of being out of that place. She had left him. "I'm so sorry." Was the only thing she could muster. "You left me you left me you left me you left me you left me!" Even though Leo was a spirit, he was just a boy. She tried to hug him, to comfort him but he pushed her away. "I hate you." He gritted his teeth before a lion devoured her. _

It was short and quick, like removing a band-aid. She was breathless like always. In times like this, she was questioning her sanity. It wasn't normal to get nightmares all the time but who would she blame? Pitch explained to her thousands of times that he was not the one who's delivering these nightmares. She was not a helpless child anymore, he had said. It was because of unfulfillment that made her dream of these things. In a way, her memories are telling her something.

She knew what they are telling now. She had left Leo in Aelius' lair. _Oh, shit._

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Missed me? Of course, you all do. [dodges a randomly thrown frying pan] [dodges a randomly thrown axe] I'm sorry, again. Definitely not one of my best works but it'll do. This is just a filler chapter but it's the start of a small conflict, also known as, _When would Star run out of depressing topics? _I can't answer all of your reviews but thank you for leaving one. The next update would be next week since we're going to have a long weekend. Welcome to Adamine Beifong! I love new readers.

I'm going to do the prom and make-out-ish next chapter. Of course, I would not leave Pitch and Teddy's friendship so stay tuned. Anyway, please leave a review my dear readers. Til next time. Bye!

Yours truly, Star.


	33. First Time

"It's all my fault! I should not have suddenly gone in and out of consciousness. Agh! He would definitely hate me. I broke my promise to him. I can't believe this! I'm such an idiot! What would he think of me? He looked up to me. He saw that I was good and I could be trusted but I broke my promise to him and it's all my fault that I left him there, all alone." As Teddy continues to burn the soles of her shoes, North sighed and sipped a couple of his cold eggnog. He didn't particularly like cold eggnog but he couldn't just Teddy alone.

In the middle of his brilliant carving of a wonderful toy, Teddy suddenly burst inside his office. He was so stunned that he accidentally dropped the toy-in-the-making. North did not have the chance to whine as he looked at the unexpected visitor. Teddy looked so alarmed and haggard; he thought that something either happened to her or to Jack. Then she started ranting. He didn't know who she was referring to but he let her speak out her troubled mind. It's best not to disturb a woman when ranting. _Cough cough_, bad memories.

When Teddy took a deep breath, he quickly intervened. "Teddy, my dear, who is _him_?" She stared at him, looking baffled at first before pinching the bridge of her nose. North noticed that she was frustrated at herself. "There was this little boy named Leo." The Russian man tried to sink everything in. "I met him when Aelius captured me." North gulped and sweat suddenly dripped from his forehead. He didn't know that Aelius took another hostage in. "He is a summer spirit like Aelius. That douche bag was his master. He was only eight years old." He could feel the rising of the tension inside his office.

"We got along and I promised him to help him get out of that hellhole but I left him and it's all my fault. He's just a child, North, and I failed him." Teddy sunk to his knees and her shoulders shook, as if she was about to cry. North knew otherwise. The girl never really cries. He knew because of the talk he had with Bunnymund. Everyone vents on him. Even Jack and he can't believe that he's getting used to it. He removed himself from his desk chair and knelt down beside the distressed girl. She helped her stand up and North guided her towards one of his comfy couches.

Comforting women was not his specialty but he's good at giving advice. "Teddy, do not stress yourself. You're still healing." He first started as the girl released her face. He was correct. There were no tears but he could see the shadow that befell on her face. "I broke him." She whispered and that broke North's heart. Teddy would never. She was not herself that time. She could barely hold her consciousness. She was losing sanity, to be frank. "You did not!" It was full of authority that it looked like Teddy was slapped on the face.

"He's a lad, yes, but he would understand. That's what immortality does to you. It makes your eyes open and sees the real world. Leo's not a kid anymore." North's soft voice brought her reassurance and comfort that she quickly believed what he said. "What am I going to do?" She muttered to herself. "We're going to get him! He's still there. My belly told me." North gave him a playful wink and Teddy managed to chuckle. "I'll tell you a secret." He whispered to her ear, adding up some effect. A smile curved on her face. "People always wait because sometimes, waiting brings you something special."

"NORTH!" Someone suddenly burst inside his office, making the two jumped from their seats. Bunnymund looked like he ran around the whole world, which he actually he did. "Oh." He breathed out when his spring-green eyes fell upon Teddy's shaken form. "Tat 'lil blighter kept buggin' me tat Teddy got kidnapped or somethin'."

North and Teddy looked at each other before bursting into giggles and guffaws. They knew who the _'lil blighter _Bunny is talking about. Jack can sometimes be very possessive. Her laughs quickly died down and she sighed heavily. Remembering the earlier topic, she easily tuned out the two old friends chatting. Teddy quietly slipped out of the room and ventured the old halls all alone.

She had overhead them talking about how she was rescued from Death Valley. Teddy could easily grab a snow globe or two but she didn't want the Guardians go into overdrive. The temperature suddenly plummeted to the ground and the course of the air changed. Without glancing behind, a tiny smile slipped on her face. "Hey, Jack." A chuckle affirmed her greeting. "How do you always know?" His deep voice was heard from behind and she turned around to come face to face with the winter spirit.

She wasn't used to that kind of proximity and turned away. Teddy didn't exactly defined herself as Jack's girlfriend but they are a couple. She thinks that for them, the word 'girlfriend' is a little bit modernized. Fiancée is not the right description and she knew that she is far away from that title. She's not 18 yet! But then again, Jack was from the 17th century. Age was just a number that time. "Intuition." Was her belated answer before Jack bombarded her with apologies and questions.

* * *

"Teddyyyyy." Jack lazily and annoyingly drawled on. "Hmm." Was the girl's uninterested reply. "Teddy." Jack repeatedly tried to catch her attention but to no avail, she wouldn't budge. She was so immersed with her book that she had forgotten of his existence. Jack starves for attention and he wasn't about to lose his girlfriend's. Jack was sprawled out on her bed while Teddy perched on her windowsill.

Jack could not comprehend why Teddy was more immersed on that book made by John Green than on him. _He was fucking Jack Frost, for Moon's sake! _He wasn't about to state that point to her or else, they would get in a rather long argument. He wasn't in the mood for that. He had been nonstop arguing with Bunny these days now. His lower lip jutting into a childlike pout, he was determined to capture Teddy's attention.

Knowing that Teddy would not simply pay attention when called by her name mixed with annoying drawls, Jack took the next action. Removing the distraction out of the picture. He stood up from the bed and silently as he could possibly get, he made his way towards Teddy. He now fully read the title and it said, _Abundance of Katherines_. His hands were so itchy to snatch that book and read it himself. He really loves books, obviously, and that title made him so utterly curious. But his main goal is to get Teddy's attention, not the book's contents.

Nearing to his Teddy, he quickly snatched the book like a thief. She made a slight strangled yelp before blinking at her empty. She shot a death glare at Jack. "Okay, I was getting to the good part and you freaking ruined the moment!" The winter spirit only playfully stuck out his tongue before tossing the brand new book on the bed. "You got my attention." Teddy huffed and pouted angrily. She crossed her arms on her chest and continued to glare at the mischievous spirit.

Jack only smiled before perching beside her. "What now?" She muttered, still slightly pissed about the fact that Jack disturbed her reading time. "Let's make out." He huskily whispered before leaning in and kissing Teddy softly on the lips. "So that's what." She mumbled through the gesture. Like any other kisses they shared, it was sweet yet more needy. She didn't know if Jack was just bored but he was definitely turning into a possessive boyfriend. Not that she cares at all.

It was only their _second _kiss in their relationship. Contrary to popular belief, seconds kisses are far more superior to the first ones. It may have been because the first one was not exploited professionally. Teddy could feel the possessiveness radiating from Jack. The winter spirit is not shy type in relationships. Jack, doing a bold move once in a while, wrapped his arms around Teddy's waist and pulling her closer. This action caused immediate shock to Teddy but did not complain.

The kiss was getting more aggressive as time passes and Teddy felt the need to breathe but Jack wouldn't let go. She could feel his cold breath coming out his nose. Her hand involuntarily grabbed a fistful of Jack's frosty hoodie. She wrapped the other around his neck, grabbing handful of white hair. The kiss was soft at first but becoming fierce by now. Her throat emanated a low moan. She can't get enough with Jack. He was so intoxicating. Her nose was filled with the scent of pine trees and freshly fallen snow.

Jack, holding up to his word about making out, although hesitantly, parted his lips. Teddy felt something cold and warm at the same time prod for entrance. She didn't decline the request albeit her heart tried to pound out of her chest. She had read these scenes from books and webpages. In fact, she was proud to have some _educational reading_. Her head slightly tilted as let her lips part, giving away entrance. She knew that this was inevitable. Cautiously, their tongues pressing against one another, as both of them were lost in each other's taste. Their tongues tangle sloppily, still trying to get the hang of it.

They both felt like it was forever. When one is engaged in her or her first make out session, then it undeniably sweet and unforgettable. The two believed that both of their hearts are beating so fast that it could probably defeat The Flash. The moment was absolutely brilliant but not all things are planned how we like it to be. A snow globe suddenly blobbed out of the floor and opened a portal.

Instincts alerted the two of them, causing them to jump in fright and quickly let go. As if caught in action, the two scampered away from each other. Teddy quickly sitting on her bed while Jack tried to look calm as he perched on her desk chair. North and Bunny stepped out of the portal before the swirling, compressed space disappeared from behind. As the old duo compose themselves, the couple fixed their disheveled selves. Teddy fixed her sweater and wiped out her lips, removing the evidence that they had been making out.

In Jack's case, he tried to straighten his crumpled blue hoodie and tamed his hair in a less unkempt way. "What's up?" Teddy asked, trying to ask casually. Good thing her book was touching her sock-clad feet. She tried to portray that she had look up from the book she was reading, or rather holding. "TEDDY! We found Leo!" She should be happy or feel relieved yet she somehow felt dubious all of a sudden. She felt disoriented. She didn't quite understand that they would find Leo that quickly and easily, in just two fucking days!

"Are you serious?" Teddy slammed the book shut and jolted from her seat. The almost-catching-them-making-out-scenario flew out of the window as another major topic went face front. "Of course! He is North Pole. C'mon!" North got a hold of Teddy's hand and opened another portal. They dashed inside while the two rivals stayed behind for a minute. Bunny sighed in distress before touching his furry head. "Oh, North. Neva knew how ta plan this 'ol out before actually goin'." Jack chuckled at the complaint.

The winter spirit stood up from the blue desk chair and went beside Bunny as the two of them readied themselves for going through the portal. Before he was fully allowed to step in, Bunny glanced behind and smirked. "I saw tat, Frostbite." His blue, blue eyes widened a fraction in alarm. He was about to deny something or protest that they weren't doing anything, but Bunny already disappeared, already chilling in the Pole. He closed his eyes and let out a profound sigh. He knew what the Pooka was implying about and he didn't get the chance to retaliate. This is going to be a long day.

* * *

She was downright scared. More scared than facing Aelius himself. More scared than getting shot by her father. More scared than dying. She fiddled with the loose string from her sweater as she stared at the other guest room. Jack was standing by her side, quiet as of now and giving her silent moral support. His grip would tighten or loosen around his staff as he waited patiently for Teddy to build up her courage and face Leo. Finding him was a tad bit easy. Bringing him to the North Pole was harder than fighting Pitch himself.

North retailed the quick journey to Death Valley. It had been easy going back there since they had gone there already. The Russian man explained that his special snow globes record every location they went so that they could go back there the next time. North's snow globes are such a complicated thing. It cannot open to a person's whereabouts without knowing its exact location.

Nick brought Bunny with him even though the Pooka continuously argued that he was wasting his time to a brat. North countered that they were doing this for Teddy and the bunny immediately shut up. Aster scouted the whole lair until finding Leo in an adjacent room beside Teddy's. They somehow concluded, with the retailing of Teddy's experience in that part, that Leo was punished for interacting with Teddy at any sort. Aelius might have only wanted the boy to look over Teddy, not actually talk to her.

The old Guardians found the boy beaten up and starved and dehydrated to death. They quickly brought him down from being chained on the wall, a similar case with Teddy. That's when they got to the hard part. It may have been due to the fact that Leo was both physically and mentally unstable. His powers convulsed and made him shape shift into a lion. The two tried their best to tame Leo's animal form until finally sedating it with a sleeping potion that hid in North's dusty cabinets.

They brought the boy over the North Pole and treated his wounds and attached him to a dextrose in order for him to get nutrients and energy while he slept. As the boy rapidly heal during the course of two days, he started to wake up. Another problem went into the picture. Like Teddy before, Leo could not fathom if it's reality or not. They had to ask Tooth to calm him down, seeing that she had that special ability inside of her. Leo started to cry that time. He cried about how he missed Teddy and how he treated her his older sister in that short amount of time.

Of course, the Guardians immediately comply with the demand about how the boy wanted to see Teddy badly. That's how Teddy landed on this scene right now, looking shy and vulnerable as she continues to bore holes on the door. "Just go inside." Jack lightly coaxed her, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her further to the door. As if on instincts, Teddy recoiled and jumped away from the entrance, looking like a frightened cat. "I don't know if he wants to see me." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Of course he wants to see you! How else have we gotten here in the first place?" Jack believed that the boy could hear their arguments from the other side of the door. Teddy sighed heavily and balled up the fear inside her and swallowed it like a pill. She grabbed the doorknob and the spirit's face broke into one with so much relief. "Attaboy!" The wooden door swung open, revealing a scrawny, little figure perched on the windowsill.

A rod with a bag with clear liquid hanging on it stood beside him and a tube was attached to his arm. "Leo?" The boy's head whipped around from the sound and brown eyes widened a fraction when it landed on her. "Miss Ted?" She chuckled and cautiously walked to him, trying not to startle him or something. "I told you before. Just call me Ted or Teddy." Leo's head bob a few times before his gaze landed on the next visitor. "Who is he?" Teddy gave the winter spirit a quick glance before sitting down beside the tired boy. "Remember the boy I told you about? When I was in the cell?" Both boys grimaced at the horrid memory.

Leo answered with a bob of the head. "Well, he's him. He's Jack Frost." The sprite's eyes shimmered in pure ecstasy and curiosity. "Although I can't probably hold him for a long span of time since he's a winter spirit." He sadly muttered. "Does not really matter. I know that you two are going to get along. I'm sure of it." Teddy sent Leo a playful wink before the two of them erupted into giggles. Jack shook his head playfully before letting the two of them have their time.

He quietly snuck out of the room before letting his mind and himself wander. It hurts him to say this but he was actually jealous. He felt like he was staring at himself and at his younger sister. He missed his human life but he never regretted once that he sold his life just to save her. And besides, he has bigger problems placed on his hands. He had another competition for Teddy's attention. He's not going to lose easily this time. A book already defeated him and Teddy owes him another make-out session.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Hi again! Missed me? I finally had the time to update because the school granted us 10 days of rest, mainly because our country has been struck by a typhoon. It's probably short but worth it! I think no one noticed my last update (insert exaggerating sobs here). I hope you like this chapter. Had a hard time writing the make out session. The next chapter would be filled of fluff and romance. You can request a scene if you want. I would gladly write it! The next update would be on Sunday because we don't have classes on Monday! Oh yeah.

I would now answer to the reviews I never answered:

_EmeraldRhino__– (chp. 31) Hi! You missed me? Hehe. I hope you can brighten my day again, although it's not required. I guess one of the reasons why this story is so long because I want to show the readers that it's not a fast-paced romance. I want my readers to see their relationship nurture into something deeper. Thank you so much for the compliments. I really appreciated it! (chp. 32) Yes, I nearly died because of school. Mandarin, in our curriculum, is not an elective. Once you chose it, you're bound to it. Thank God that the school suspended the classes on our Mandarin oral exam or you wouldn't read this today. My teacher is quite the horror one. Anyway, sorry for the long wait but I hope you enjoyed it!_

_Chocolate Spirit__– (chp. 31) Thank you so much and no, I don't think your stories are not good. Every writer has his or her own unique ways of writing so don't think otherwise. Everyone is good in writing because we are blessed with literacy. Once again, thank you so much and I don't really like to end this as well but we all need to let go, right?_

_Revolving Core Alchemist__– (chp. 31) I know right! I was convulsing in feels when I wrote it. Keep reviewing and I hope I would see your name when I checked my e-mail. I hope you enjoyed this!_

_Xion5__– (chp. 31) I know right. I'm so sorry for making you wait. I need to maximize the suspense! (chp. 32) Thank you so much for the ideas! I will keep that in mind. I might even write it. I'm already planning the part where the Guardians find out about Pitch and Teddy's oh-so-secret friendship. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for keeping up with me._

_LittleRedRiddingWolf__– (chp. 31) Thank you so much and you're really devoted to this story. I appreciated that! Keep reviewing! (chp. 32) Thank you for the ideas and maybe I might write it as well. All of your ideas are lovely. I hope you liked this chapter! Thank you for keeping up with me._

_HandsomHolly__– (chp. 31) You missed me? Anyway, I feel so flattered and appreciated. Oh, I know that song! I really liked it as well! Everybody has an inner die hard romantic (wink, wink) I love your guesses. Makes me more excited to write the last few chapters. Eh, great minds think alike. I'm sorry for the one-month absence but I hope it's worth the wait. Thank you very much for keeping up with me. I hope you liked this chapter! Keep reviewing, Holly!_

_guardianofartbravery__– Hi! Welcome to this story. Thank you for reviewing and I will keep your requests in mind. It might happen so stay tuned. I hope you forgive me now. Also, I hope that you liked this chapter as well. Keep reviewing!_

_Adamine Beifong__– Here is the update and I also love Teddy's character! I hope you like this chapter and keep reviewing. Thank you for the support!_

_Hamish III__– That's a long review and God, I might have shed tears a little. I don't think I should be a writer in the future. I mean, I'm a lousy one and I don't think people would like what I write (e.g. chp. 27). Wow! You're an excited one and bless your soul, you know John Green as well! You didn't bore me with your long review. I actually appreciated it. Thank you so much for leaving such a message and I hope you continue that. Thank you for keeping with me. P.S. I might have done that coincidentally._

_Savarra__– Hello! Welcome to this story! I really love your ecstasy. Keep reviewing and thank you so much! Hope to see your name when I check my e-mail._

By the way, I have a question for all of you: If Teddy does become a spirit in the future, what spirit is she? Give me a short explanation as to why and I would probably spoil you some of my plans. May the best reviewer wins! Oops, I really like contests. Keep reviewing and thank you so much for keeping up with me.

Yours truly, Star.


	34. There For You

"Greetings, my old friend."

It had been a starry night in Burgess, with children still playing out of the security of their homes. Teddy had been lonely for quite some time. Jack could not tolerate the heat brought by summer so he had to move to someplace else that is colder and mustier. The two only meet in Santoff Claussen but that was terribly rare since Teddy started her fourth year in high school three days ago. She had been peacefully doing her homework when her longtime friend appeared behind her, professionally scaring the daylights out of her and this was the first time.

"Pitch! Don't scare me like that." She whipped around, shooting him an adorable pout. The Boogeyman only rolled his amber eyes filled with hate and fear. "It is my job, Ross. I could not simply help it." He strode towards her bed, elegantly sat down, with his appendages cross-legged, and looked at her plainly. "So, what brings you here?" She asked, looking back at her homework with disgust that only students could muster in times like this. "I've heard that you and Frost got together." _Uh oh. This is going to be a long conversation. _"Frost might come here and catch the both of us."

"Don't change the subject, Teddy!" The girl jumped from the sudden outburst of the Nightmare King, along with the shadows crowding on the both of them. "It doesn't really matter, Pitch." Once they got to first name basis, something bad is going to happen later. "_Doesn't matter? _You're fraternizing with my nemesis!" Teddy angrily dropped her pen and turned her desk chair to face the seething Boogeyman.

"You said it didn't matter to you, as long as our friendship stays hidden." She replied, ever so calmly. "I did! But not build a relationship with him, especially romantically." Pitch huffed a strand of ebony hair, trying to calm himself down as well. This argument may seem so childish but Pitch can sure start childish arguments.

"You're jealous!" The sudden remark made Pitch glare at her. He is most certainly not jealous! "I am not." Teddy had a mischievous grin on her face, a thing that rarely appears and rarely being glimpsed by many. "You're jealous because I would focus more on him than on you. You're jealous because if the spirit world knows about this, they would even celebrate. You're jealous because if they knew about our friendship, they would not take it happily." Both their eyes softened at the confession and Pitch cannot admit that it was somewhat true.

"Look," she began again, "I won't ignore you if you won't ignore me. You rarely visit me and we rarely talk so that leads me to yearn for somebody else's company, and company meaning Jack. And besides, friendships are far more superior to romantic relationships. Our friendship would never dissipate. Remember that." She smiled endearingly at him before turning back to her homework.

"Now, can we please change the subject?" She voiced out, not giving Pitch enough time to contemplate and answer. "Fine." Pitch exaggeratedly sighed before smoothing down his already-smoothed-down hair. He always does that when getting anxious and he rarely gets nervous. "Do you know anything about Night Terrors?"

* * *

"Teddy, my dear, you looked so tired." North remarked, staring at the girl's disheveled figure. She has large and dark eye bags, her pecan-colored hair looked like a bird's nest; she hadn't properly fixed her shirt and had forgotten to tie her shoelaces. Teddy carried a big bag full of books and unorganized papers. Arthur had gone to a business trip, discontinuing her punishments and allowed her to stay to anyone's house. She lied by telling she would stay at Jack's but in fact, she was going to crash in the North Pole.

"Blame school, North." She replied rather rudely before sitting down on her favorite couch in the living room. "Sorry. I'm really tired and my school's not that merciful when it comes to giving homework." Teddy sighed in distress before having some shuteye. All of the Guardians are busy, except for North. He had plenty of toy designs, with the help of Teddy and Jack.

They both had given him ideas and he gladly accepted and carves it immediately. Jack's away for a while, bringing snow to other parts of the world and Tooth and Sandy are having their usual night shifts. Bunny is working himself to his breaking point. He said that he needs this year's Easter to be perfect and he doesn't want to be disturbed.

North, having his parental instincts, riling up, worriedly looked at the girl's tired form before putting a blanket on her and kissing her forehead good night. He picked up her bag and carried it to his office. He wanted to know what the girl's doing in school. He wanted to know the reason for her sleepless scoured the papers and books. Schoolbooks entitled Advanced Physics, Calculus, World History; it sound so hard to Father Christmas. The books are also thick and hardbound, giving Teddy a hard time to carry all those to her classes.

She has so many papers and homework due next week. In fact, she has an unfinished reaction paper about Julius Caesar. Little did the Guardians know, North has a Shakespeare fetish. He watched and read all of Shakespeare's plays. He's going to start with that. There's no harm in helping his adopted child in her homework. It was a simple reaction paper to the both of them but Teddy has limited time to do all those. He began writing.

He has plans in his mind. North would begin with arranging the papers by subject and putting it in thin binders. He then scouring for unfinished papers and delayed homework. He wrote all of his answers in a different paper so that Teddy would be able to approve it or not. He finished the comic strip Teddy forgot to do. He did all the art-related projects.

He is not the only artistic one among the Guardians. Yes, Bunny is considered Van Gogh in their tiny group but North had been making toys since the beginning. Tooth can only do colorful abstract art and draw parts of a tooth. Obviously, Sandy is one of the most creative of them all. He could manipulate his sand to create extravagant picture. Jack, he didn't know, but the show he put up with Jamie, North believed that there is a frustrated artist among them. And Teddy. She had given them realistic paintings and North knew that she is also an artist. They are a family of artists. He grinned. He missed doing homework.

* * *

Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,

Hi everyone! This is only a filler chapter but I hope you like it. I'm planning on giving you one of the special chapters, either on Friday or Saturday. Anyway, there is still this contest I've been hosting and it's about the best suggestion ever! I need all of you to rile up your creativity since I haven't updated for a month now. Keep reviewing everyone and hang on to this story!

Yours truly, Star.


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